The consensus amongst participants at this meeting was that it was certainly one of the best organised and most successful meetings of its type that we had attended. In particular, it was highly valuable having pathologists and entomologists from around the world in the same room (and in the field) during the week, especially given the increasing realisation of the importance of the interactions between pathogens and insects in forestry (which was the driver for the meeting in the first place of course!). So a hearty thank you to IUFRO and the local Organising Committee (particularly Guillermo, Roberto and Gonzalo and their team) for their hard work and a job well done, and to the Scientific Committee for putting together such a great programme!
BiCEP DISCUSSIONS
A productive side meeting focused on the biological control of eucalypt insects was held on the evening of the 8th November. In particular, individual country’s needs for biological control and the research required to support this was discussed, with several themes emerging. These were:
- Impact of Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and access and benefit sharing (ABS) on biocontrol.
- Host specificity testing of biological control agents
- Identifying new potential biocontrol agents and wider genetic diversity in existing agents
- Databasing (including barcoding) what agents have been released around the world (and pests?)
- Enhancing information sharing and communication.
We invite comment from interested parties on these themes and to suggest aspects of eucalypt insect biocontrol that we may not have covered.
A discussion paper is available on the Members page for download.
IUFRO Images from Uruguay
The meeting venue – the Sheraton Colonia
Dr Gonzalo Martinez Crosa and IUFRO participants at the Industrias Forestales Arazati s.a. pine plantation.
IUFRO participants at the La Martineta UPM/Forestal Oriental eucalypt plantation. Eucalyptus dunnii in the background.
An expatriate Australian in Uruguay! Gonipterus scutellatus (complex) on E. dunnii at La Martineta.
Eucalyptus grandis at La Martineta and not a borer to be seen!
Eucalypts in the Uruguay landscape, as seen from atop Sierra de Mahoma
IUFRO Images from Argentina
Thaumastocoris peregrinus damage to roadside eucalypts, and associated dieback symptoms. West of Buenos Aires.
Another Australian expat. Glycaspis brimblecombei on a eucalypt in a Buenos Aires park.