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Henrik Stotz – The University of Hertfordshire (Top image)
I am grateful to the BSPP for financial support to make attendance possible. This event was one of the highlights in 2023. We arrived in Lyon on the 16th August ahead of the conference to venture to Beaune in Burgundy, which is a lovely area, I have never visited.
Having spent four days there, we moved back to Lyon on the 20th to attend the conference where I had a chance to meet many colleagues and new acquaintances at the registration and the welcome reception. Our group from the University had a strong showing, including my colleagues Avice Hall, Yongju Huang, Bo Liu, and PhD students Laura Sapelli and Evren Bingol. I visited the BSPP stand to meet Steve Parnell for the first time and other members. The next day offered plenary sessions as well as opportunities to get the posters up, which me and my PhD students Laura Gimenez-Molina and Zedi Gao did. After all the first two days were the times when our posters were to be presented in the evening. During the first parallel sessions, I was then given the opportunity for an oral presentation on the ‘Influence of elevated temperatures on resistance against phoma stem canker’ in session C1.3 – Plant responses to pathogens. I really enjoyed the chairs Carolina Francisco and Isabel Saur, who did a fantastic job considering both online and live questions. I thought it was an excellent session and got to know Gayan Kariyawasam from Tim Friesen’s lab in Fargo, ND who presented after me. Poster viewing session 1 commenced at 6 pm, including posters on ‘Assessment of quantitative resistance against Pyrenopeziza brassicae in Brassica napus TILLING mutants’ by Laura G.-M., ‘Unlocking the secrets of insect olfaction: Comparative genomics for chemosensory genes’ by Zedi G. and ‘Novel gene loci associated with susceptibility of quantitative resistance to P. brassicae in B. napus’ by myself. There were good interactions to be had with poster presenters that were close-by and interested visitors. I informed scientists visiting my poster about Laura’s follow-up work and informed Laura about those individuals. I particularly enjoyed meeting Lone Buchwaldt again who presented her poster close to where I was. A real treat for us was the presence of Benjamin Richard, who served on the organising committee of the congress. Ben is also a supervisor on Zedi’s PhD committee, and we had a chance to discuss Zedi’s research progress as well as Ben’s poster.
The conference dinner at Imagine Circus was another great opportunity to meet scientist that you would not usually get to know better. We joined a table with young French and Hungarian scientist, which allowed for intercultural exchanges. In the evening of the 24th August the blackleg workshop was held, which brought us up-to-date on all the latest development across Australia, Europe and Canada. The conference finalised with parallel sessions. I attended the one on necrotrophic pathogen, which brought me closer again to my friend and colleague Jan van Kan. I enjoyed all the talks in this session but found the one by Ashley Nelson very encouraging to better understand host colonisation of infected leaves using confocal microscopy. The closing ceremony featured a fantastic talk by Monica Höfte who summarised what could be learned the conference. It was a fantastic event for all with so much research diversity. Photos for our group of the University of Hertfordshire are shown below.
CHIA Genevieve KAIN
I was granted a travel fund from the BSPP to attend the ICPP2023 in Lyon, France. This marked the first ever international conference that I was to attend. I was so excited to meet plant pathology experts from all over the world in person to present the findings of my research conducted on potato aphids.
The first day of the conference which was on the 20.08.2023, started at 5 pm and ended at 8 pm. It was so much fun and I enjoyed the meals.
Sunday cocktailI displayed my poster entitled ‘’Fungi species associated with potato aphids in Bamenda, North West Region of Cameroon’’ for two days.
Moreover, I enriched myself with so much knowledge from the different sessions that I attended. For example, I attended many talks on bio control. Prof. Enrique Monte did an oral presentation on Trichoderma in the bio control of nematodes and insects. From his presentation, I could already start answering some of the research questions for the next step of my work. This made me acquire a lot of skills and clarified so many doubts that I had. Prof. Yegal Elad also did a very interesting presentation about integrated pest management that widened my understanding of this aspect. Moreover, seeing other people’s posters and slides, I learned better ways of preparing mine for future upcoming conferences.
At the BSPP stand during the conference.Most excitedly, I was able to see and talk to some members of the BSPP physically for the first time during my volunteering services at the BSPP stand (Figure 3) to promote the generous organization.
It was a very enriching conference, I learned new discoveries in plant pathology, new techniques, made new friends, and networked with plant pathology experts for future collaboration. I thank the BSPP and the ICPP for giving me a travel grant to attend this big conference and my supervisors, Prof. Tonjock Rosemary Kinge and Prof. Tofel Haman Katamssadan for their continuous follow-up in my research career.
Evren Bingol
I was fortunate to be awarded a travel fund by BSPP to attend this congress. For my PhD, I am investigating the interspecific interactions between phoma stem canker pathogens on oilseed rape in the UK, and I use a variety of different techniques from different disciplines. Attending ICPP was a great opportunity for me to learn about inter-disciplinary research in plant pathology.
There were many interesting concurrent sessions on a variety of subjects. I was able to select which sessions to attend according to my interests. My highlight from this congress was definitely the blackleg (phoma stem canker) session, where I got to hear about the latest advancements in oilseed rape research. I have also had the opportunity to introduce myself to many scientists I have been referencing since I started my PhD, which was very exciting. I enjoyed presenting my poster titled “Deciphering the influence of co-inoculation timing on antagonistic effects of Leptosphaeria biglobosa on L. maculans”, which received interest from international industry representatives.
Dr. Chofong Gilbert Nchongboh
I had the privilege of attending the International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) 2023 in Lyon, France, thanks to the generous travel grant awarded by the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP). This prestigious event, held from August 20 -25th, 2023, brought together over 2500 scientist and researchers across disciplines around the world to exchange knowledge, discuss ground breaking research, and foster collaborations on a common concept of “ONE HEALTH for all Plants, Crops and Trees”.
I participate in several key activities including satellites sessions, Caulimoviridea study group meeting, EVA Global project meeting that left an indelible mark on my professional growth and understanding of global plant pathology. I benefited from giving an oral talk on Pararetroviruses in ornamental Petunia, their use in evolutionary studies and as regulatory agents for exploration in plant disease management.
Session: C9.7 – Biology and paleovirology of the Caulimoviridae (C9.7-2 – Origin, spread and control of endogenous pararetroviruses within petunia). Gilbert CHOFONG (Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig – GERMANY)
One of the greatest advantages of attending ICPP 2023 was the opportunity to network with fellow researchers, scientists, experts in virus diagnostics assay and host-virus interaction. In addition, explored the chances for getting a research position in the UK by talking to peers (members of BSPP and others). Our discussions and exchanging of ideas enriched my perspective and expanded my professional network.
I am immensely grateful to the BSPP for their support, which made this opportunity possible. The knowledge gained, connections forged, and inspiration received will undoubtedly shape my future contributions to the field of plant pathology. I encourage all BSPP members to consider attending future ICPP congresses and to explore opportunities for travel grants. It is a chance to stay at the forefront of plant pathology research and to contribute to the global effort to address plant diseases and food security.
Jacob Locke-Gotel, University of Hertfordshire
I recently attended the International Congress of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France.
There were many aspects of the congress which I found helpful and interesting. The concurrent sessions found me learning about the importance of using trees and plant life in town planning to better regulate temperature in urban environments and that indigenous knowledge holders can work with modern scientists to speed tree restoration projects by up to 4 times!
I attended the global blackleg session which showed me the extensive work done in the characterisation of oilseed rape cultivars and management of the disease. It also showed me that countries are no borders for collaboration as the people presenting were all very well-acquainted with each other.
Besides this, of the 1000+ posters I saw, I learned about disease management in mango tree in west Africa is just starting, and that farmers for durian also deal with crop losses due to viruses.
In presenting my own poster, and I had the pleasure of meeting other researchers screening fungal isolates on coniferous trees in the Bordeaux region, some using drones to spread viral particles as a “vaccine” against fungal pathogens and another researcher looking at viruses that affect the mitochondria in fungi, insects and plants.
In addition, I am organising a short lab visit with a group in Brittany that I met at the congress dinner.
I feel more connected to a higher purpose and understand the strength that community provides.
I must thank the BSPP for facilitating this opportunity, I have seen the global effort made toward better understanding disease management and food security, and for experiencing a summer this year as the UK had naught but rain.
Prof. David B. Collinge – University of Copenhagen
Oh what a week! Lyon in August meant temperatures hitting 40°C in the afternoons… the air conditioning in the hotel and conference centre made it possible to concentrate and discouraged any skiving off!
I had several small roles during the week. The most exciting of these was co-convening a session on biological control involving fungi along with Profs Dan Funck Jensen (Swedish Agricultural University) and Sabrina Sarrocco (University of Pisa).
We were placed in the huge amphitheatre, and over 500 participated during the afternoon to hear the six lectures covering topics as diverse as RNA signalling between beneficial and pathogenic fungi, functional genomics and mycoviruses as BCAs.
The view from the stage is quite intimidating. Our Copenhagen group was represented in the accompanying poster session by Hans Jørgensen with studies on control of Septoria leaf blotch in wheat.
The next day I spoke on our recent work on control of Fusarium Head blight in wheat and oats at the second biological control session in a much smaller room. This was filled to capacity 300 participants, and I heard that the session was transmitted to the poster and exhibition area. Finally we had a talk (held by Birgit Jensen) at the endophyte session on the final day.
I had a couple more, rather smaller roles at the meeting. I am an ICPP councillor for Denmark (DSPS) meaning that I had to – along with BSPP president Rob Jackson – attend the ICPP council meeting in order to approve the budget accounts etc, as well as approve nominations for the new president and other executive board members.
This role also gave me the opportunity to see Lyon from a river cruise – this was the only opportunity I had to see anything outside the convention centre and the walk through the adjacent – and magnificent – park to my hotel.
Additionally, I am joint editor in chief for CABI’s Plant Heath Cases, and attended their stand several times to meet potential authors and editors, as well as readers of our textbook from 2020.
Finally, there is a tradition that the editors of our journal “Plant Pathology” meet for a dinner. A very enjoyable event in an old railway station.
John Carr
I attended not only the main ICPP meeting but also the two-day satellite meeting on Induced Resistance (PlantBioRes 2023). Altogether, this made for six intense but highly enjoyable days of talks, meeting with old friends, and in making links with potential new collaborators in plant pathology from around the world.
The PlantBioRes 2023 satellite meeting was a very well-conceived attempt to bridge advances in viral cross protection (the phenomenon in which asymptomatic viruses are used to protect crop plants from closely related virulent viruses) with the latest developments in our understanding of induced resistance mechanisms, i.e., resistance that is provoked by pathogens or pathogen-derived agents. Using these MAMP/PAMP and ETI type mechanisms and cross-protection has urgency and timeliness since we need to develop new and sustainable approaches to plant protection. The satellite opened with masterful opening talks by Elsa Ballini, on how plant communities protect their members against pests and pathogens and from Heiko Ziebell on the successful story of cross-protection. The success of the satellite was evidenced by calls to turn it into a regular meeting in the future.
I am a plant virologist, so I was impressed by the number of sessions dealing with these agents at the main ICPP conference. Particular highlights were the concurrent session on Viral Modification of Plant and Vectors which ranged from the molecular detail of virus particle binding within the insect vectors (Marilyne Uzest’s talk) to how virally-induced changes in vector-plant interactions modify epidemiology in talks by Nik Cunniffe and Ruairi Donnelly. A later session on Epidemiology also included advances in our understanding of insect-vectored virus transmission, with very new modelling by Ellin Falla. Viruses also popped up in the session on cryptic viruses, where Satish Viswanathan described how to make pepper lines free of inherited viruses using RNAi, and in Neena Mitter’s talk on the use of ‘BioClays’ to introduced therapeutic, synthetic double-stranded RNAs into plants. The final important virus session was on the topic of the re-emergence of tobamoviruses, notably tomato brown rugose fruit virus, as major threats to horticultural production.
Karima Ben Mansour – Czech University of Life Sciences
It has been a great experience attending the International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP), Lyon, France, from 20–25 August 2023 as a Ph.D. candidate representing the Czech University of Life Sciences and the Research Crop Institute, Prague, Czech Republic, where I presented a chapter of my PhD work. The poster presentation entitled “Sequencing and recombination analysis of watermelon mosaic isolates from the Czech Republic” gave me an opportunity to present, share, and network with a wide range of industry experts and peers from all over the world.
I fully enjoyed the congress, with so many interesting seminars and discussions on various topics that were very successful and well organized. There were plenty of opportunities for networking with top colleagues in different fields of research. I attended several sessions delivered by different keynote speakers or scientists, which were very informative and insightful on their subjects. I learned from those experiences and explored the latest ideas and techniques that I could apply to future work and my early career.
Finally, I strongly acknowledge the British Society of Plant Pathology (BSPP) for providing me with a travel grant to attend this congress.
Katherine Stewart – NIAB East Malling and Cranfield University
The 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) was held in the wonderful city of Lyon, France. The event, hosted by the International Society of Plant Pathology (ISPP) and the French Society of Plant Pathology (SFP), was well attended with over 2400 attendees arriving from 100 countries across the globe. Several industries were represented throughout the conference, including agriculture, horticulture, research, healthcare and policy. The conference provided 6 keynote sessions as well as several concurrent sessions, flash talks and poster sessions.
The theme of this event was ‘One Health for all Plants, Crops and Trees’, which encompassed a wide variety of talks from specialists within the plant pathology field. The ideology of ‘One Health’ is that humans, animals and the environment are all interconnected, and by improving the health in one of these areas, we can generally benefit everything else. Plants, crops and trees are all collectively included in the ‘environment’ branch of One Health, however, the conference highlighted the importance of plants in their own right, as they contribute to so much of human, animal and environmental health. Plants provide food, medicine, materials, and most importantly, the air we breathe. They also alter the climate and global ecosystems, which is crucial when considering climate change and the future of the planet.
The first Keynote session, titled “Plant Pathology in a One Health World” was one of the most enticing sessions I have attended. It introduced different perspectives from across the world about the importance of considering our methods of combating plant pathogens and invasive species, and that our current practices may be ‘unhealthy’ for the environment, animals and humans. It was a thought-provoking session and encouraged the listener to think more carefully about sustainability and how the branches of One Health all interact with each other.
Cindy Morris gave fantastic insight into the added value of one health to benefit plants. She highlighted that often times microorganisms from natural environments (plants; animals) can spill into human environments, as shown by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Natural environments can act as reservoirs of plant pathogens, or novel virulence factors, indicating that genetic diversity could be introduced into commercial crops. Whilst this is a worrying thought, we can also utilise this genetic diversity to improve or identify new control methods to combat already detrimental pathogens. An important development within this area of research is the use of population genetics and mathematical modelling to predict future disease dynamics, which many have already been working on to improve disease control. This subject was incredibly relevant for my studies as I’m looking into the genetic diversity of Venturia inaequalis populations across different apple cultivars. I’m looking at the feasibility of using mixed cultivar orchards as a management strategy to reduce apple scab, therefore considering natural reservoirs of genetic diversity will be important for the future of my PhD project.
Within the fourth keynote session Federica Bove gave an interesting perspective into the global state of plant health by introducing the Global Plant Health Assessment (GPHA); an initiative conducted by the ISPP to assess plant health status and evolution over the past 10 years. The ecoregions of the world were mapped and the impact of climate change, pathogen invasions and pesticide misuse were evaluated. The report covers essential crops, including those in agriculture, horticulture, urban vegetation and forests. To summarise, the vast majority of staple crops, including rice, wheat, maize potatoes and cassava are showing either poor plant health or a decline. Forests generally seem to be stable but their current state is only fair. Based on this assessment it’s clear that researching plant pathology is essential for the future of ‘One Health’ for humans, animals and the environment.
With this in mind, a lot of progress is underway into disease control of plants, and these advances can be found at multiple levels, from molecular work in the plants or pathogens, to biological control using beneficials. Biocontrol’s were a large focus and they are rapidly becoming a popular study area. Stephane Compant discovered that combining the root colonising fungus (S. Indica) with different species of endophytic bacteria, a beneficial relationship emerged, in which there was plant growth stimulation, increased root colonisation and a potential for biocontrol against pathogens. Enrique Monte found that Trichoderma can benefit plants by enhancing growth and protecting against biotic and abiotic stresses. Finally, Mukesh Dubey demonstrated a possible cross species modification of parasitic RNA using smallRNAs (sRNA). It has been suggested that RNA interference (RNAi) could regulate mycoparasitism in pathogens and could be an alternate biocontrol method for the future. All these methods could have applications within agriculture or horticulture, and a push for alternatives to fungicides is especially important in Europe, where many protective agents have been banned due to legislation.
I would like to thank BSPP for the support provided for me to attend this conference during my PhD studies. I have bolstered my knowledge of plant pathology in general and this conference has provided new ideas which I hope to apply to my own work for the future.
Laura Röhrig
I am very grateful for the BSPP travel award that allowed me to visit ICPP. The ICPP was the first international conference I visited during my PhD and since, I was just about to finish, it was the perfect timing to network at the conference. The presentations and posters were really inspiring and seeing people in person presenting, whose papers I’ve been reading over the past four years was truly a great experience.
I used the opportunity in Lyon to present a poster about one of my thesis chapters and it was great receiving input from researchers like Dr Remco Stam and Prof Ralph Hückelhoven from Germany, who are also studying the fungus R. collo-cygni that causes Ramularia leaf spot in barley. Their insights and input have definitely helped me strengthening my thesis discussion.
However, one of my personal highlights was meeting likeminded, young researchers from all over the world, who I would have never met without the conference and who find plant pathogens as fascinating as I do. Being able to network and stay in touch with Emmanuel Nii Adjei Annan and Tracy Khalil was definitely one of the best outcomes from the conference in Lyon.
Martin Darino – Rothamsted Research
The 12th ICPP was shaped by the one health concept. The concept indicates that the emergence of an epidemy is consequence of multiple interacting factors such as habitats, human, animals, and plants. Therefore, it is essential to understand the interaction among all the factors to prevent new epidemies. In the case of plant pathogens, the identification of pathogen reservoirs outside the agriculture system, understand the mechanisms of long-distance dispersion and develop models that can predict the emergence of new pathogenic strains are needed to predict new epidemies.
During the molecular plant-pathogen interaction sessions, several stories about effectors were presented. Effectors are molecules secreted by the pathogen to manipulate its hosts. However, the identification of effectors that are not exclusively expressed during infection and effectors able to manipulate the microbiome beyond the host indicate that effectors are more than tools to manipulate the pathogen host. Finally, in the biocontrol sessions, several microorganisms with ability to control pathogens were introduced. Some of these biocontrol strategies are at the field trial stage so soon we will see some of these strategies in the agricultural systems. The identification of plant traits that can attract/host beneficial microorganisms was also proposed. Microbiome-based strategies should be considered in future breeding programs.
Nik Cunniffe – University of Cambridge
I am very grateful to the BSPP for providing support which allowed me to attend ICPP 2023. This allowed me to present my own talk – on modelling virus vector interactions – in a session co-organised by ex-BSPP board member John Carr. It also allowed me to attend and speak at the satellite meeting “How to combine remote sensing with epidemiological modelling to improve plant disease management?” that I co-organised with colleagues from the UK, France, and Italy, including current BSPP board member Stephen Parnell, and that was generously sponsored by the BSPP Event Organisation Fund. And as always during an ICPP conference, a particular highlight was being able to reconnect and network with collaborators and friends from all over the world. Lyon is evidently quite warm in August, and a lot of restaurants were shut for the summer, but travel via Eurostar and SCNF was very easy, the conference facilities were excellent, and the meeting was very well run and catered for. My favourite talk – of course apart from those by members of my own group – was that given by Dan Bebber, in a session on Risk Assessment organised by EPPO and EFSA, on the role of modelling in understanding risks of first entry via trade and travel. With the recent increased availability of high-quality data sets on first introductions, this is a fertile area I think, and one that has much promise for the future. I had to leave the conference slightly early, and so for me it concluded by acting as an intermediary in a last-minute, late-night transfer of a suitcase of BSPP promotional materials to current board member Trisna Tungadi, which occurred during a nice evening meal catching up with ICPP attendees who used to work in Cambridge.
Olaide Ogunsanya – Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria
The International congress of plant pathology is the world’s largest conference on plant pathology, promoting plant health and food security. I am grateful to BSPP for awarding me a travel grant to be part of the 2400 delegates from 100 countries who participated this year. I also want to thank BSPP for awarding me a carer’s grant to pay for childcare while I was away at the conference.
The 5 days conference was eventful and impactful as we had different sessions (talks and posters) covering all areas of plant pathology including opportunities for discussions. The first talk session (plant pathology in a one health world) was my best session as I found the talks very interesting and motivating. Melanie Mark-Shadbolt gave a talk on empowering an indigenous perspective in the response to invasive pathogens. I really enjoyed her talk because based on my experience with farmers, the local community have an indigenous way of solving problems. To respond to pest and pathogen invasion, the information and experiences of the indigenous people is of great importance in this quest. So, research cannot be done in isolation. Melanie’s talk ended with a singing performance by a few people from New Zealand. Justin Pita gave a motivating talk on plant health for one health in central and west Africa. I loved this talk because it aligns with my dreams for Africa. Plant health is not firmly rooted in Africa, and this requires a move. Justin gave a review of the status of one health in 10 central and west African countries then he presented the approach of the WAVE regionals to boost plant health across Africa through the management of transboundary plant pathogens. This WAVE move gave me ideas on how to improve the status of plant health in my country (Nigeria) starting with my University in Nigeria.
The most notable concurrent session was the biological control session- The importance of augmentative biocontrol and plant microbiome function for plant health. This session gave me an insight into topics I could explore after my PhD as I am very interested in biocontrol. The talks by Magnus Karlsson and Mudassir Iqbal were insightful as they explored the world of Clonostychs rosea and Aurebasidium pullulans. I am interested in Clonstachys rosea because I never heard of the biocontrol fungi until earlier this year when I accidentally encountered the fungi while A. pullulans is of interest to me because it can control anthracnose. Magnus talked about the ability of Clonostacys rosea to control Fusarium, Septoria trici blotch and root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans). I found this informative as I did not know this much about the biocontrol fungi until now. Their research findings suggested that the mechanism of antagonism in C. rosea is not the same in different pathogens. Mudassir on the other hand, talked about the beneficial yeast fungus Aurebasidium pullulans. This yeast fungus was isolated from strawberry, and it is effective in controlling gray mold, anthracnose disease (my disease of interest) and other strawberry associated diseases. In additions, A. pullulans vectored by bees is more effective in reducing the incidence gray mould than the traditional spray application method. The bee vectored method of application also enhanced the shelf life of the biocontrol product by 100% during post-harvest storage than control. Furthermore, application of A. pullulans promotes plant growth. I look forward to conducting a study on investigating the ability of this yeast fungus in controlling Colletotrichum species associated with other crops other than Strawberry.
The poster sessions were also informative as I saw presentations that were relevant to my just concluded studies and the presenters gave me tips on how to overcome the unresolved challenges I encountered in the laboratory while conducting my study. I had quite a number of people visit my poster stand, they asked interesting questions and gave positive feedback on my presentation. The most rewarding part of the conference was the interaction with other scientists, who were willing to support my career and collaborate with me in future. In summary, I have no regret attending ICPP2023.
Peter Solomon – The Australian National University
The ICPP meeting in Lyon was highly anticipated although the warm weather was testing, even for an Australian! I greatly enjoy these meetings as they showcase a vast array of disciplines and fields in the plant protection space ranging from field plant pathology to detailed plant immunity sessions. Of particular note, I very much enjoyed hearing from Paul Birch about extracellular vesicles in the oomycetes and also Bart Thomma’s interesting story on the antimicrobial properties of Verticillium effectors. Helen Brabham also presented an important story on the development of high-throughput approaches to identifying (and ultimately using) functional resistance genes and it certainly made me think about how this approach could be incorporated into a number of important agricultural and horticultural crops. Lastly, it was exciting to see the latest developments in high-throughput sequencing approaches for pathogen detection. In particular, Sebastian Massart posed the question to the audience about trust when detecting pathogens with latest sequencing approaches while Julie Pattemore outlined the reality of using next-generation sequencing for plant pathogen detection on the front line – there is more to it than most of us consider! I greatly appreciate the support from BSPP to attend these meetings as it not only enables me to hear the latest science in the field but to also catch up from friends, colleagues and collaborators for a quiet drink and chat.
Rosa Sanchez-Lucas – University of Birmingham
Thanks to the BSPP travel award grant I had the opportunity to attend to the ICPP2023 conference held in Lyon and one of the satellite events (19-25th August). The conference contained several hot topics talks with researchers from several background, institutions, and countries. This supposed and amazing platform to develop new collaborations and extend my current networking in different areas: crop-trees with Spanish groups, plant priming of defense with Tennessee University and ash-dieback with Denmark groups; the last one with an open invitation as thesis evaluator. At the same time, this conference offered the opportunity to consolidate the pre-existing collaborations in metabolomic analysis with international partners face-to-face.
The conference allowed me to present a total of 4 posters communication about mycorrhizae, climate change, chemical priming of defence and epigenetics, covering the 2 different sessions. Additionally, the participation on the BSPP stand contribute to know people from different cultures, areas of knowledge, research career trajectory, other early career BSPP members and different societies and industry. Summarising, ICPP2023 was an impressive environment with many specific sessions including public engagement via social media science translation mixed with the current research in plant pathology, mostly focus in crops with few touches in trees.
Sara Abdelsayed – University of Warwick
I am incredibly grateful to the BSPP for granting me the opportunity to attend the International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP 2023), especially as I near the completion of my PhD study. Participating in this conference was instrumental in shaping my future career direction. I had the chance to present my own research and engage with researchers from around the globe, particularly during the enlightening poster sessions, which significantly expanded my scientific network.
The presentations focused on integrated disease management strategies, particularly those exploring molecular diagnostics and sustainable agricultural practices, emphasised the critical need for collaborative efforts in our approach. The discussions on the profound impacts of climate change and globalisation on disease spread and severity underscored the urgency for proactive measures. The conference served as a platform that highlighted innovative research dedicated to disease resistance and rapid response strategies, fostering a sense of optimism amidst the challenges we face.
The invaluable networking opportunities among diverse experts in plant pathology, human and animal health, and environmental science undoubtedly facilitated collaborations geared towards making impactful changes in safeguarding plant health within the broader framework of One Health.
Simon Edwards – Harper Adams University
For me there were many interesting presentations at the ICPP this year but there were three key topics at the conference that I wanted to further my knowledge in. These were international plant biosecurity, endophytic biological control agents and the use of varietal mixtures to reduce the impact of plant pathogens. All these topics were well covered but with up to seven concurrent sessions there were always going to be clashes. The highlight presentation for me was Maria Gullino’s presentation on Emerging diseases in the vegetable sector. Maria is an applied plant pathologist who has always impressed me with her extensive knowledge and breadth of studies completed. Of my three key topics the most interesting session was “A mechanistic approach of the varietal mixture effects on plant pathogens” – This session covered the theory of varietal mixtures, an extensive meta-analysis of multiple studies and several examples of practical, effective reduction in disease and management of pathogen populations through the use of varietal mixtures. Overall, the Congress fulfilled its role of bringing together a large collection of plant pathologists from around the world, allowing an extensive exchange of information and ideas and leaving us stimulated to explore new ideas and collaborate with new colleagues.
Siti Nordahliawate Mohamed Sidique – Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
The ICPP always an exciting event for plant pathologists, occurring every five years and offering a unique platform for sharing research and insights in the field. We had the opportunity to present our group research work on bio-available silicon (silicic acid), particularly the evidence gathered from different regions, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the UK. The diverse range of crops including rice, muskmelon, pepper, cocoa, dragon fruit, wax apple, strawberries, courgettes, and rubber tree. This event in Lyon has given us a platform to remind plant pathology community not to forget the potential benefits of silicon (Si) and highlights the significance of Si as a potential in sustainable agriculture when used thoughtfully and strategically. At the BSPP exhibition stand, I had a wonderful and productive time talking to several participants and exchanging name card (20 countries!). It was a great way to exchange ideas, build collaborations and broaden my perspective in the field of plant pathology. The best part was to personally congratulate my former co-supervisor on her promotion, Prof. Yongju Huang. Our time in Lyon end with a quick visit to the Vieux Lyon. I simply enjoying the atmosphere of a beautiful and historic district. The sighting of powdery mildew on plane tree leaves while exploring the town is indeed a fitting detail for a plant pathologist’s day out.
Stuart Fraser – Scion, New Zealand
I am very thankful to the BSPP for supporting attendance at my first ICPP. One highlight for me was the Episense Satellite Meeting held the weekend before the Congress. The full title of this meeting was combining epidemiological modelling and remote sensing to improve plant disease management and that’s exactly what the meeting sought to do. It brought together experts in epidemiology and remote sensing, as well as general plant pathologists like me, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of combining the fields. The goal is now to work together to produce a review. The topic aligned well with research we have been doing at Scion under the Resilient Forests Programme to improve the management of red needle cast, an important foliar phytophthora disease of New Zealand’s key commercial forestry species, radiata pine. I presented our multidisciplinary work using both proximal and remote sensing to better understand the epidemiology of the disease and to calibrate and validate a process-based infection risk model. We have 1. deployed sensor networks and cameras to monitor environmental conditions and disease development in forest canopies to help model calibration and 2. developed methods to map disease with high- and low-resolution satellite imagery to support model validation.
Susan Breen, University of Dundee
Rosa Lorano Duran reported on their recent work to understand the C4 protein from geminivirus which relocates from the plasma membrane to the chloroplast during viral infection. The viral C4 protein mimics a plant protein domain, Conserved C-termini in LAZY1 protein family (CCL) domain, allowing it to interact with RCC1-like domain (RLD) proteins. This interaction outcompetes native plant LAZY domain containing proteins and interferes with RLS functions e.g. auxin signalling and endomembrane trafficking.
Andrea Sanchez reported on the role of histone acetylation and lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) in effector gene regulation in Zymoseptoria tritici. Effector gene ZtCel45A which is expressed during the later stages of infection was used as an example. ZtCel45A expression is reduced in KAT mutant Z. tritici lines showing that KATs are involved in infection and regulation of effector gene expression during plant colonisation. KAT mutant line ΔSas3 are impaired in histone acetylation of effector genes during infection.
Sylvester Aigbe – Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria
I am grateful to BSPP Travel Fund committee and the entire BSPP as a whole for supporting my participation in ICPP2023 through the BSPP travel fund award. At the congress I was able to organized one of the satellite events, a workshop entitled: “How to write winning grant proposals” on Sunday, 20 August 2023. Speakers for this workshop included Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Professor/Dean of Studies at the University of Manitoba, and also the Senior Editor of the BSPP’s Plant Pathology; Dr. Lava Kumar, Virologist/Head of Germplasm Health Unit, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria; Dr. Annemiek Schilder, Director of UCCE Ventura County/Hansen Agricultural REC, Califonia; and Dr. Ashley Shade, Director of Research, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Lyon, past Leader for Project Funding at the US Departments of Agriculture, Energy and the US National Science Foundation. Sub-topics covered included grant application basics, international grant proposal, winning grant research proposals: from the US and ERC perspectives and how to get excellent proposals written. Electronic copies of the various presentations were forwarded to participants and the workshop feed backs were positive and highly encouraging. Which no doubt indicated that the workshop was highly successful and further broadened our professional networks. I would not have been able to organize this workshop without the BSPP travel fund award and also the support received from Dr. Nathalie POUSSEREAU, Co-chair ICPP2023/Vice-President ISPP, Dr. Mathias CHOQUER, Co-chair ICPP2023/ SFP board, and our great speakers! To everyone I say thank you very much!
Ziyue Zeng – NIAB
I am Ziyue Zeng, a Postdoctoral Researcher working on Pseudomonas populations in cherry trees at NIAB in Cambridge, UK. I a ended ICPP2023 in Lyon in France last summer with the support of BSPP travel grant.
Attending ICPP2023 was a great chance for me to acquire knowledge and inspirations from the talks and posters on diverse topics. Moreover, the conference provided valuable social networking opportunities for me to meet and interact with international microbiology researchers, including keynote speakers and other early career researchers to share thoughts, skills and ideas, leading to new insights and collaborations. Also, it was an excellent venue for me to present and discuss my work with international researchers. One of the highlights for me was the ICPP Forest Pathology field trip, one of the satellite events. Dr. Pascal Frey and his colleagues showed us the disease discovered in the Chautagne Forest, such as poplar rust, ash dieback, chestnut blight and wild cherry leaf spots caused by the ascomycete fungus Blumeriella jaapii.
Overall, attending ICPP2023 had tremendous educational and scientific value for me and for my career development. I would like to thank BSPP for supporting my attendance.
