IAPPS Awards in Glasgow

The XVI International Plant Protection Congress began in Glasgow with an opening ceremony that included the presentation of the IAPPS International Plant Protection Award of Distinction (IPPAD).

One of the most prestigious honours in the crop protection industry, six winners were presented with the award by Dr J R James, chairman of the IPPAD Committee:

Professor Zhenqi Li

Professor Li, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, China has made significant contributions in the areas of plant immunology and plant pathology, host plant resistance, mechanisms and inheritance of resistance, electronic microscopy of fungi and integrated pest management for sustainable crop production.

During 1983-1990, Professor Li's studies led to successful integrated management strategies and a sustainable wheat production system. He pioneered the use of molecular DNA markers for population genetic analysis of wheat stripe rust and confirmed, for the first time at the molecular level, the long-distance transmission of the pathogen.

For his significant contributions in stripe rust management he received the prestigious National Natural Science Award presented by the Chinese government.

Dr Hari C Sharma

Principal Scientist and Entomology and project coordinator at ICRISAT in India, Dr Sharma's scientific contributions are in the areas of insect bio-ecology and population dynamics, economic thresholds, natural plant products, host-plant resistance, transgenics and molecular assisted selection for insect resistance, effect of transgenic crops on non-target organisms,

and natural enemies for integrated pest management.

Dr Sharma's collaborative research on host-plant resistance includes more than 20 NARS in Asia and Africa. Among his numerous awards for his work are the CGIAR Excellence in Science Award and the King Bedouin Award.

Dr Mustapha El Bouhssini

Dr El Bouhssini, Entomologist, ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria, has played a pioneering role in developing integrated pest management options for the control of insect pests of cereals and legume crops in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). His research includes pest biology, estimation of yield losses, cultural practices (planting dates), biological control (predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi), botanical insecticides (Neem, Melia) and host plant resistance.

Among his numerous awards is the Basel Award for Scientific Agricultural Research in Syria, as a member of the team that developed an Integrated Pest Management package for chickpea leaf miner.

Professor John E Foster

Professor Foster is an entomologist in the Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA with expertise in host plant resistance to insects. His current research involves the utilisation of GMO maize in IPM systems.

He has written more than 100-refereed publications, numerous extension articles and publications, plus several book chapters. Professor Foster has co-authored the release of 24 plant patents, germplasms and/or cultivars. He has mentored 34 graduate students and served on the committees of another

65 students in five different disciplines.

He has served as a consultant for many international agencies and organized numerous international workshops with the stated goal of promoting Integrated Pest Management and plant protection.

Professor Baruch Rubin

The research of Professor Rubin and his group at the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, concentrates on weed biology, ecology and management. Professor Rubin is a recognised world leader in these fields of study.

His group developed Integrated Weed Management (IWM) programmes based on the biology of weeds and on developing optimal combinations of management strategies including crop rotation, rational use of herbicides, cover crops and cultural practices (IPM). The group studied the mechanisms involved in the evolution and spread of herbicide resistant weeds and elucidated the biochemical and molecular mechanisms associated with resistance to triazine herbicides.

Professor Rubin's many contributions internationally include an IPM consultancy to FAO, Chairman of the Scientific Programme Committee of the XIV International Plant Protection Congress and as President of the Weed Society of Israel as well as Vice President of the International Weed Science Society (IWSS).

Dr Gary Jahn

Dr Jahn is IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) Representative and Coordinator for the Greater Mekong Sub region located in Laos where he manages the Laos-IRRI Rice Research and Training Project. He also manages the ADB JC-ICT Project, Linking Extension and Agricultural Research Needs through Information technology (LEARN-IT) Project for

Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. He is technical adviser to FARMSTEAD (Fish And Rice Management System To Enable Agricultural Diversity) project in Cambodia.

He was the Principle Investigator of the Livelihood Improvement Through Ecology (LITE) Project of Bangladesh (2002-2004). As current technical adviser to FARMSTEAD he collaborates with CARDI to develop a method of improving rice production in favorable rain-fed environments without reducing fish harvest or incurring unsustainable crop loss.