Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium 2018 in Adelaide (APP118)

START

July 1, 2018

FINISH

September 10, 2018

Summary

The 2018 Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium held in Adelaide gave a diverse range of participants the opportunity to hear about the latest research into soilborne diseases.

The highly successful conference ran over four days and featured over 50 presentations covering topics such as disease suppression, pathogen diagnostics, rhizosphere microbiology, new understandings of plant microbiomes, disease resistance and biosecurity.

Participants that included researchers, students and end users (~20% of total participants) found it a valuable experience and gave positive feedback, saying they benefited from the topics covered and the opportunity to network.

Background

The Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium is a biennial conference which provides a cross-industry platform and international forum to share the latest developments in soilborne disease control and the opportunity for participants including researchers, students and end users to forge new collaborations.

Research Aims

The core objectives of the project were to:

• Organise the 10th Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium
• Host talks by national and international experts for the benefit of researchers and growers
• Focus on new insights in disease control through natural disease suppression/biocontrol, new understanding of microbiomes and plant resistance for reducing disease impacts.

In The Field

The event was held in Adelaide between 4–7 September 2018.

The attendees heard from a range of national and international experts. There were over 50 oral presentations and 28 poster presentations, providing diverse expertise and an environment for participants to develop new collaborations while learning about the latest developments in pathogen diagnostics, ecology and disease management.

Presentations by keynote speakers included topics related to disease suppression, rhizosphere microbiology, diagnostics and new concepts for disease management through manipulation of the plant microbiome, resistance and biosecurity.

Results

The symposium was very successful, with 120 participants from nine different countries attending.

The feedback from attendees was positive and indicated the participants found the presentations and topics relevant and 95 percent of the attendees rated the conference performance as good to very good.

Some of the main reasons cited for attending the conference were the networking opportunities, the content, the opportunity for professional development and to present their own research.

Project Participants

Australasian Plant Pathology Society: Dr Gupta Vadakattu

The Problem

Stakeholders in the management soilborne diseases need a way to exchange ideas, share latest developments and network with each other.

The research

The Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium provides up-to-date information and a place to interact for researchers and growers.

More information

Dr Gupta Vadakattu, CSIRO Agriculture & Food and Australasian Plant Pathology Society
T: 08 8303 8579 M: 0427 790 538
E: [email protected]

Value for Growers

The conference benefited growers (~20% of participants) directly with the opportunity to attend and learn about the latest information in soilborne diseases. It also indirectly benefits growers as a stimulus that promotes diverse collaborations and advancements in soil disease understanding and management techniques.