Dear
all,
We would like to invite you to submit an
abstract for an oral/poster contribution to our technical session on needle diseases of conifers at
the
2024 IUFRO Congress in Stockholm.
Session title:
Needle diseases
of conifers: a globally rising threat to natural
and planted forests
Session number: T1.20
Session Description: The damage caused by foliar pathogens in coniferous forests is on the rise globally, causing severe concerns for the management of both planted and natural forests. While some pathogens are host
specific, such as the causal agent of Swiss needle cast on Douglas fir, others, such as those in
Dothistroma or
Lecanosticta, colonize a variety of hosts. Regardless, they are causing sporadic outbreaks across the globe, likely due to climate change or the mostly accidental introduction of new strains
into areas. Despite the numerous species that can be classified as needle diseases (e.g., those in the genera
Coleosporuim,
Dothistroma,
Lecanosticta,
Lophodermella,
Lophodermium,
Passalora,
Phaeocryptopus, and
Rhizosphaera, just to name a few), they have many traits in common, even across those colonizing different host species, and current research on needle diseases can benefit from exchanging
experiences from different systems. This session will cover and welcome a broad range of topics related to both pathogens and endophytes of needles, including their origin and dispersal, their geographic distribution, management options, the differential susceptibility
of their hosts, and their resistance mechanisms. We will also cover current advances in pathogen genomics and population genetics, as well as diagnostics.
Session Organizers: Irene Barnes (FABI, South Africa), Michelle Cleary (SLU, Sweden), and Caterina Villari (UGA, USA).
The
session includes
talks and posters and the deadline for submission is
2 June 2023:
https://iufro2024.com/call-for-congress-abstract.
We hope you will consider contributing to this session!
Best regards,
Caterina, Irene, and Michelle