Society of Nematologists

Volume 54 March 2008 Issue 1Ne

mato

logy N

ewsle

tter

Rosa Manzanilla-López, Rothamsted Research UK

Dr. Rosa Manzanilla-López has been appointed a Visiting Professor at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Cen-tro de Desarrollo de Productos Bióticos, Mexico. She will lecture annually on the ecology of plant-parasitic nematodes to students doing the MPhil course in Agroecological Management of Pests and Diseases. In March 2008, Rosa was invited to give a lecture entitled ‘Experiences of

an Expatriate Researcher in Nematol-ogy at Rothamsted’ at the annual one day meeting of the International Day of Women, held this year in honour of Rachel Carson at the University of Chapingo, Mexico. These meetings are to encourage young women to con-tinue in scientific research, especially in aspects of phytosanitation.

Congratulations, Rosa!

Species Named After

Nematologist The species name is a patronym honoring Dr. Saad L. Hafez, for his long service as a Nematologist at the Uni-versity of Idaho, Parma Re-search and Extension Center, Idaho, USA. He provided the samples from potato fields for plant-parasitic nematode iden-tification and which yielded this new species. The process of discov-ery of the new species was exciting for Dr. Hafez and his team. It was published in the International Journal of Nema-tology, Volume 17, No.1, 63-90, 2007.

An Official Publication of SON

Table ofContents

New Species Named After Nematologist, Research

in UK - Page 1

News from Brazil - Page 3

SP-IPM Nominates a New Chair,

News from Hawaii - Page 4

In Memory of Dr. Paul Peter Weinstein - Page 5

New Book Sheds Light on Nematology - Page 6

Member News - Page 7

Credits - Page 8

SON Membership Form -Page 9

News from the President

President Rick Davis

It was my privilege to represent the Society at the USDA-CSREES Plant and Pest Biology Stakeholders’ Workshop in Alex-andria, Virginia on November 20, 2007. This biennial forum is an opportunity for invited scientific societies and agricultural interests to convey their concerns and pri-orities for research to CSREES. It is important to note that CSREES has been very responsive to the com-mon themes presented in these workshops in setting priorities for federal research programs and for program funding related to science and agriculture. The SON Executive Board served as a representative vehicle to develop a presentation to high-light SON research priorities and a listing of critical needs in nematol-ogy research as they related to the current CSREES Strategic Goals. Society research priorities included reducing the societal impact of plant-parasitic nematodes, ad-vancement of fundamental nema-tode biology, promoting benefi-cial nematodes, identification of invasive species, stewardship in nematode management, nema-todes as environmental bioindica-tors, and the role of nematodes in diverse ecosystems. Critical SON needs identified included 1) Genomics; genome sequencing of more representative species, improved bioinformatics to capi-talize in mining genome data, and an understanding of the biological relevance of genome data through functional genomics; 2) Nematode Management; strategies to replace or augment current nematicides, natural and bioengineered plant resistance to nematodes, under-standing nematode population genetics and shifts under manage-ment selection, and enhancing the role of beneficial organisms in integrated systems; 3) Nematode

Ecology and the Environment; understanding the central role that nematodes play in ecosystems and nutrient cycling, assessment of nematode community structure in agroecosystems, and potential affects of environmental change in existing communities of nema-todes. Federal science program leaders from within CSREES, and well as representatives of NSF and DOE, provided a roundtable discussion on current and new research program initiatives. A number of CSREES grants pro-grams supporting biobased pest management exist beyond NRI, and interested Society members are encouraged to obtain a sum-mary of the programs at http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/pest/in_focus/bbpest_if_programs.html. New programs at CSREES involve Weedy and Invasive spe-cies (with EPA), Biodiversity (with NIH, DOE, and NSF), Carbon Cycle and Climate Change (with NASA), and Biotechnology Risk Assessment. As suggested by these new programs, federal science funding sources are now placing an increased emphasis on inter-disciplinary programs to promote maximum efficiency in utilization of available federal funds. A look at the 2008 appropriation for fed-eral science funding (summarized

Page 2

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

at http://www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports/2008_01_07.html) suggests that increasing inter-agency programs is a prudent strategy to achieve the most “bang for the (dwindling) buck”. A number of the programs mentioned above are the direct re-sponse to common priorities and critical needs presented by the invited participants in these Stakeholder meetings. Common themes among the participants in the November 2007 meeting included concern for

emerging agricultural diseases and food-borne pathogens, genomics as an engine for scientific discovery, maintaining traditional breeding in agricultural commodities, increased bioenergy demands, specialty crops, affects of climate change in agricul-ture, integrated systems and pro-grams, support for long-term research projects, and training and education of the next generation of scientists. A complete summary of this CS-REES Stakeholders’ Workshop will

be posted at the internet site: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/plants/in_focus/pbgg_if_stakeholder.html, and the summary of the 2005 Work-shop (with input from former SON President Terry Niblack) is currently available. The outcomes of work-shops such as these have direct and indirect effects on us as individual professionals and collectively as a Society, and I encourage you to stay informed and participate!

News from Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil

The Nematology group at UENF, led by Ricardo M. Souza (plant-parasitic nematodes) and Claudia Dolink-si (entomopathogenic nematodes) is graduating several students: Vicente Gomes concluded his MS, during which he identified some of the mechanisms behind the decline and death of guava trees parasitized by Meloidogyne may-aguensis; he also assessed strategies to manage infested guava orchards. Rogério Burla and Fernando Pereira are concluding their BS, during which they screened Psidium sp. genotypes for resistance to M. mayaguensis and, in association with professors at the Economics Deparment, estimated the nationwide impact of that nematode. Dim-my Barbosa is concluding his DS; he conducted four year-long experiments in M. exigua-infested coffee plantations to assess different management strategies and to establish a nematode damage threshold. Inês Machado and Ramon Minas are concluding their MS; they evaluated the poten-tial of controlling bovine ticks and fruit flies, respectively, with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). Eleodoro Del Valle and Eduardo Barreto are concluding their DS

The group of students are happy with everything they have accomplished.

and BS, respectively; they conducted field experiments to further improve the use of EPNs applied in Galleria cadav-ers to control the guava weevil (Conotrachelus psidii). Juan Pablo Acevedo and Thiago Freitas are concluding their DS and BS respectively, during which they conducted experi-ments to better understand the antagonism of EPNs to-wards root-knot nematodes.

Heads Up!5th International Congress of Nematology

Where: Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaDates: 13 - 18 July 2008

Website: http://www.5icn.org/Registration and Call for Oral and Poster Presentation Abstracts are

available on the website.Convenor: Dr Mike Hodda, President Australasian Association of Nematologists

Page 3

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

Richard A. Sikora

SP-IPM Nominates a New Chair

The CGIAR Systemwide Pro-gram on Integrated Pest Management (SP-IPM) has nominated Prof. Richard A. Sikora as the next Chair of its Steer-ing Committee. He assumes the duties in early 2008. Richard is Head of Soil Ecosystem Phytopathology and Nema-tology in the Institute for Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn, Ger-many where he specializes in phyto-pathology in soil-ecosystems and on a broader scale in plant protection in the tropics and subtropics. In the past 36 years, Richard has conducted short and long term overseas IPM research con-sultancies, most times in collaboration with SP-IPM partner organisations, in actual/potential target countries served by the SP-IPM. He has contributed advisory services in IPM to govern-ment services and upstream research institutions in over twenty-five counties worldwide. Richard will be responsible for cooperating with CGIAR scien-tists, working together in inter-center research programs, to increase the quality, usefulness and impact of IPM research in the developing world.

News from Hawaii The past few months have seen lots changes in the nematology group in Hawaii. Dr. Koon-Hui Wang returned as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Declan Fallon bid aloha to the tropi-cal islands of Hawaii and returned to the slightly cooler Emerald Isle (Ire-land) with his wife and young son. Several students completed their dissertations. Roxana Mey-ers Cabos successfully defended her research on “Transformation of coffee for resistance to nematodes” and has started a private laboratory on the Big Island of Hawaii. Tridate Khaithong presented his research on “Transplastomic expression of pro-teinase inhibitors and resistance to migratory endoparasitic nematodes” and then returned to his position with the Thailand Department of Agriculture. Tonia Quintero defended her dissertation entitled “Assessment of four soil nematode communities in Hawaii by different methods” and has relocated to San Diego, CA with her family.

We have been fortunate to wel come several new students. Michael Berry, from the Solomon Islands, and Sayaka Aoki, from Japan, are working on their MS degrees with Brent Sipes. Yoshimi Makimoto, from Hawaii, is working with Drs. Anne Alvarez and Brent Sipes on a MS degree. Sharad-chandra Marahatta, from Nepal, is working towards the Ph.D. with Dr. Koon-Hui Wang. Dr. Siva Sivaramakrishnan and his students Mr. Anthonio Samy, Mr. K. Padmanaban and Ms. Muthusamy Razia visited with Drs. Brent Sipes and Koon-Hui Wang. Dr. S. Siva Ramak-rishnan, who works at the Depart-ment of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu, India., and Ms. Razia presented seminars to the De-partment of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences on their work. Ms. Razia’s presentation was “EPNs: An area of potential research” and Dr. Si-varamakrishnan presented an overview of his research with entomopathogenic nematodes in southern India.

Students of the Plant and Enviornmental Protection Sciences take a moment from their busy schedules to smile for the camera.

Page 4

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

In Memory of Dr. Paul Peter Weinstein

Dr. Paul Peter Weinstein

Dr. Paul Peter Weinstein, 88, of South Bend, IN passed away on January 5, 2008 at the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. The most beloved and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, he was also revered for his superla-tive contributions to science, both in research and in teaching. Born on December 9, 1919 in Brooklyn, New York, he received his BA from Brooklyn College in 1941. From 1942 to 1944, he began his career as a Junior Parasitologist for the US Public Health Service in Jackson-ville, Fla., and from 1943 to 1947 he served as Captain, both in Puerto Rico and Atlanta, where he played a sig-nificant role in establishing the Center for Disease Control. He received his ScD from The Johns Hopkins Univer-sity in 1949 and pursued his career in science at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md., from 1949 through 1968, when he retired as Director and Chief of the Laboratory of Tropical Diseases and Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, to serve as Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana. He served as a Professor at Notre Dame until his retirement in 1990, after which he continued active research as a Profes-sor Emeritus, until his death. He published over 90 scien-tific papers in the course of his career, and, in addition to his formal posi-tions, took on special assignments that included serving as a member of the Joint Dysentery Unit, for the Enteric Fever Commission of the U.S. Armed Forces, in Korea, from 1951 to 1952; an Instructor in Invertebrate Zoology, at the Marine Biological Laboratories at Woods Hole, Mass., in 1959 and 1960; Visiting Scientist, at the Na-tional Institute for Medical Research, in London England, from l962 to 1963; and Visiting Professor, Juntendo Uni-versity School of Medicine, in Tokyo, Japan, in 1989.

He was a member of numerous advisory committees and editorial boards relating to parasitology and world health, including but far from limited to, the World Health Organization, in Nigeria; the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Medical Sci-ence Program, Parasitic Diseases Panel (NIH); the International Centers for Medi-

ical Research Committee (NIH); and the Advisory Scientific Board, Gorgas Memo-rial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine, in Panama. Honors and awards received over his lifetime include the Bailey K. Ashford Award and Medal, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Eli Lilly Award), in 1957; the Award of Honor from Brooklyn College, in 1958; the Presidency of the Helminthological Society of Wash-ington, D.C., in 1957; the Presidency of the American Society of Parasitologists, in 1972; the Presidency of the American Society of Tropical Medicine, from 1984 to 1985; the Faculty Award from the Uni-versity of Notre Dame, in 1987; and the Silts/Leonard Teaching Award from the University of Notre Dame, in 1988. Paul was the son of the late Max and Frieda (Hellinson) Weinstein, of Brooklyn, New York.

On September 18, 1954, in New York City, he married Ra-chel (Hazan) Weinstein, beginning a love affair that lasted over half a century. She survives in South Bend. Also surviving are daughter, Amy (Jack) Meyers and grand-daughter, Rachel Meyers, of North Haven, CT; son, Michael (Kathryn) Weinstein of Riverwoods, Ill; brother, Martin (Suzanne) Weinstein of Long Island; nieces and nephews, Marc (Halli) Weinstein, Margaret Baron, Peter (Andrea) Baron, and Susan Baron; and sister-in-law, Sophie Markoff of New York City, and her children, Irvin Markoff and Steven Markoff. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Bella Baron. Paul will be loved forever by his family, friends, colleagues, and students, and will be deeply missed. Memorial Contributions may be made in his name to the donor’s charity of choice. The McGann Hay Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Society

of

Nematologists

Page 5

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

Page 6

New Book Sheds Light on Nematology and Pratylenchus Root-lesion nematodes of the genus Pratylenchus are recognised worldwide as one of the major constraints of crops of primary economic importance, including banana, cereals, coffee, corn, legumes, peanut, potato and many fruit trees. Pratylenchus spp. rank second behind root-knot and cyst nematodes as causing greatest economic damage to crops worldwide. This is not only due to their wide host range, but also because of their distribution in almost every temperate and tropical environment. They are migratory endoparasites-feeding primarily in the cortical parenchyma of roots and thereby causing severe damage on a wide range of crops. This book comprises ten chapters and presents sum-marised and specialised information on various aspects of the root-lesion nematodes belonging to the genus Pratylenchus. Chapter 1 describes the importance of Pratylenchus species in agricultural crops and their world distribution. Chapter 2 presents general morphology and diagnostic traits of Pratylenchus spp. and their usefulness in taxonomy. This chapter also includes morphometric and cluster analyses in order to separate groups of species so as to facilitate identifi-cation. Chapter 3 analyses the taxonomy and systematics of Pratylenchus and includes a list of nominal species. Chapter 4 provides descriptions and complete mea-surements of all populations characterised for each species, as well as data on their world distribution. Chapter 5 includes comprehensive tabular and dichotomous keys for species identification. Whilst recognising the complexity of creating a system to identify such a large number of species, we are neverthe-less confident that, by using both systems, the reader has the necessary information to identify the species of Pratylenchus with which they are dealing. Chapter 6 summarizes new diagnostic technologies based on biochemical and molecular analyses, which are becoming increasingly important for practical identifications. Chapter 7 includes numerous aspects of the biology of Prat-ylenchus spp., including life cycle, epidemiology and ecology. Chapter 8 is a complete revision of the host-parasite relationships between Pratylenchus spp. and herbaceous and woody plants. Chapter 9 presents the pathogenicity and damage caused by Pratylenchus spp. to crops, as well as their interactions with beneficial and pathogenic fungi and other nematodes. Finally, Chapter 10 summarizes various management strategies for Pratylenchus, including crop rotation, host-plant resistance, chemical control, soil solarisation and biological control by means of nematophagous fungi, entomopathogenic nematodes, the hyperparasitic bacteria Pasteuria penetrans, and nematicidal plants.

Pratylenchus (Nematoda; Pratylenchidae): Diagnosis, Biology, Pathogenicity and Management

Need to Renew Your Membership in the

Society of Nematologists?

Membership with SON runs from January 1 - December 31.

Submit the application found at the end of this newsletter to ensure your spot in

the Society of Nematologists.

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

Page 7

Starr Named Distinguished Alumnus Columbus, Ohio – The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environ-mental Sciences Alumni Society of The Ohio State University announces Dr. James L. Starr as a recipient of its 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award. The so-ciety will present James with his award at an Alumni Awards Luncheon on Sat-urday, March 1, 2008, at the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow on the campus of The Ohio State University. Born in Dayton and a gradu-ate of Clinton Massie High School in Wilmington, Ohio, James earned his B.S. and M.S. in Plant Pathology from OSU before moving on to Cornell for his PhD. After graduating, James joined the International Meloidogyne Project at North Carolina State Univer-

ity as a post-doctoral associate. As a result, he spent eight months as a visit-ing nematologist in India. Before joining the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology as an associate professor in 1981, James worked for the North Carolina De-partment of Agriculture Nematode Advisory Laboratory. Currently a full professor at Texas A&M and author of more than 100 publications, James is internationally recognized for his leadership in plant nematology. In addition to teaching several courses, he has trained more than twenty graduate students who have gone on to their own successful ca-reers. Elected as fellow of the Society of Nematologists and the American

Phytopathological Society, James has also been honored with awards from the American Peanut Council, the American Peanut Research & Educa-tion Society, and the TAMU Plant Sciences Club. James and his wife, Marylou, reside in Bryan, Texas. They are the parents of Daniel, Brian, and Laura. (from an Ohio State University press release)

Nematology Newsletter March 2008

Page 8

Society of Nematologists

Nematology Newsletter

VOL. 54March 2009

B. Adams, Editor

Ian Wm. King,Erik Ragsdale,

Student Associate Editors

Todd Holbrook,Layout Editor

Deadline for submission of

items for inclusion in a given issue (published in

March, June, Sep-tember, and De-

cember) is the 25th of the month prior

to the month of publication.

officers

society of Nematologists

N.a. cobb fouNdatioN

A & L Southern Agricultural Laboratories, Inc.

Ajay North America, LLC

Divergence, Inc. Pasteuria Bioscience, LLC

Valent BioSciences Corp. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc

DuPont Crop Protection

Dow Agro Sciences

Bayer CropScience Pest Pros, Inc.

sustaiNiNg associates

The Nematology Newsletter (NNL) is published quarterly by the Society of Nematologists, P.O. Box 311, Marceline, MO 64658, USA

Address all editorial correspondence to: Byron AdamsBrigham Young UniversityDepartment of Microbiology & Molecular Biology775 WIDBProvo, UT 84602-5253Electronic-mail: nematode@byu.edu

Nematology Newsletter viewpoints are those of the contributors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Nematologists, the Executive Board, or the Nematology Newsletter Editor.

President: Eric L. DavisPresident Elect: Robin HuettelVice President: Russ InghamPast-President: An E. MacGuidwinSecretary: Stephen ThomasTreasurer: Brent SipesExecutive Members: Andrea Skantar, John Halbrendt, James Lamondia Editor-In-Chief: David BirdWeb Editor: Donald SchmittNewsletter Editor: Byron AdamsPublic Relations Director: Ernest Bernard

Chair: Robin Giblin-Davis Vice Chair: Patty TimperSecretary: Nancy BurelleTreasurer: Pat Donald

Find the Society of

Nematologists on the

Internet!

Visit

www.nematol-ogists.org/

Society of Nematologists Application for Membership

Name

Address

City State/Prov

ZIP/ Postal Code Country*

Telephone FAX

Professional Home Page

Email

Regular $60

Student* $30

Please send payment to: SON Business Office

P.O. Box 311 Marceline, MO 64658 Ph/fax: (660) 256-3331 Email: son@hughes.net

Name on Card

Card Number

Signature

Expiration Date

* Major Professor’s Signature (Required for Student Applications)

Sustaining Associate $500

I am applying for membership with the Society of Nematologists for the year _______________.

Membership with SON runs from January 1-December 31. As a member you will receive a years subscription to the Journal of Nematology. Back issues of the Journal are sent to late-renewing members and to new members joining after the dated of publication.

* Optional Airmail Delivery is available for: Canada and Mexico, add $15.00; all other countries, add $30.00

Check payable to the Society of Nematologists. (In US$ drawn on a US bank)

Visa or Mastercard

I will be paying by: (please select one)