7.02.05 - Rusts of forest trees

UNIT NOTICEBOARD

2022-04-05

7th IUFRO International Workshop on the Genetics of Tree-Parasite Interactions in Forestry Understanding forest tree-antagonistic interactions in a changing world

Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain; NEW DATE: 12-17 September 2022!
Units involved: 7.03.11, 2.02.15, 2.02.20, 7.02.05, 7.02.09, IUFRO Task Force on Forests and Biological Invasions.

Managed and natural forests provide essential ecosystem services worldwide. Due to the free of movement ofpeople and goods across biogeographical zones,tree species are increasingly challenged by emergent invasive biotic threats.We can see large range expansions of pests and diseases, as well assudden shiftsto naïve hostspecies. Moreover, climate change is also increasingabiotic tree stresses, whichsynergistically interact with tree resistanceleading to negative effects on tree survival and forest resilience. Althoughforest tree species are known to harbour high levels ofgenetic variation, most remain fairly unstudied, particularly in traits related tohost tolerance and resistancetobiotic and abiotic stressors.To understand such variations, within the framework of the genetics of tree-antagonist interactions, is necessary to forecast the survival and prevalence of forest populations in a changing environment. This knowledge can also be exploited in breeding programs aiming to improve forest health. The scientific community ispushingfor an urgent multidisciplinary and coordinatedeffort to solvethese challenges,making use of current and newknowledge, strategies and technologies. Geneticists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, phytopathologists, entomologists, plant physiologists, breeders and managers are all involved in this challenge. This workshop will provide the idealforum for updating knowledge, evidences, solutions and failuresbetween scientific, academicand practicalapproaches. It is also an opportunity toenhancethe dialogueof long experienced expertise with the newgenerations of scientists, which will provide creative and newsolutions in the near future.

Detailshttps://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/divisions/div2/20215/pontevedra20-2nd-announcement.pdf

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Coordinator:

Salvatore Moricca, Italy

Deputies:

Pascal Frey, France

Bruce Moltzan, United States

Philippe Tanguay, Canada

About Unit

Our Working Party aims to bring together scientists and investigators working on tree rusts. Our goal is to foster scientific discussion and exchanges relating to tree rust epidemiology, biology, host-pathogen interactions, resistance, control and management, and genomics. Our working group meets approximately once every 4 years in locations in Europe, North America or Asia. We usually meet in locations that allow us to discuss our scientific findings and have field trips in a friendly and relaxed environment which is conducive to exchanges and debates. We want to place a strong emphasis on participation of young investigators and students, as these meetings provide unique experiences to meet and exchange with the related community.


State of Knowledge

This Working Party has always had a strong component related to taxonomy, epidemiology, biology, and resistance of rust. This working group has been traditionally strongly attended by the pine rusts community, but has recently become much broader, with sessions on rusts of angiosperms as well as other conifers. In the last two meetings, there was strong representation of groups working on genomics of rusts and rust interaction with their host. With the recent completion of the genome sequence of the poplar rust (Melampsora larici-populina) and the future sequencing of fusiform rust (Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme), we expect this trend to become even stronger. The integration of genomics, epidemiology, taxonomy, host-pathogen interaction and breeding is most likely the trend of the future.