The American Phytopathological Society to Celebrate 100th Anniversary in Minneapolis

St. Paul, Minn. (April 2, 2008)—The largest gathering of plant health experts from around the world will take place during the Centennial Meeting of The American Phytopathological Society (APS). The meeting will take place July 26-30, 2008, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, Minn.

“The APS Centennial Meeting will showcase the many advances plant pathologists have made in plant health management over the last 100 years and highlight the contributions plant pathology continues to make in keeping our food supply, gardens, and forests healthy,” said APS President Ray Martyn.

The meeting will begin on Sunday morning, July 27, with plenary sessions focused on agriculture, food security, and improving public health. Internationally-renowned speakers will emphasize the importance of agriculture in global public health and address some of the key issues that will impact agriculture in the future, including biotechnology and the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Plenary topics and speakers include:

• Biodiversity and Agriculture—Dr. Peter Raven, Director, Missouri Botanical Garden and the Engelmann Professor of Botany, Washington University in St. Louis
• Impact of Global Climate Change on Agriculture—Dr. Chris Field, Director, Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science and Professor of Biology, Stanford University
• The Global Water Conflict Between Agriculture and Public Health: Can We Have Both - Shiney Varghese, Senior Policy Analyst, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
• Revitalizing Support for, and Impact of, Plant and Agriculture Sciences - Dr. Rob Horsch, Senior Program Officer, Science and Technology, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Feeding Africa through Crop Biofortification—Dr. Florence M. Wambugu, Chief Executive Officer, A Harvest Biotech Foundation International, Nairobi, Kenya
• Biopharming and Plant-Derived Pharmaceuticals—Dr. Charles Arntzen, Regent’s Professor and F.E. Nelson Presidential Chair, Arizona State University
• Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture—Dr. Roger Beachy, President and Director, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis
• The Interface of Science and Policy: The Crucial Roles of Food and Health in Economic Development— Dr. Gilbert Omenn, Director, Center for Computational Medicine and Biology and Professor of Internal Medicine, Genetics and Public Health, University of Michigan

In addition, Dr. Lowell Catlett, Regent’s Professor of Economics, Agriculture and Genetic Engineering at New Mexico State University will present a closing luncheon lecture on Wednesday, July 30 entitled “Tomorrow’s Agriculture—Six Trends You Can’t Afford to Miss.”

The meeting’s scientific program includes oral and poster presentations, four days of special sessions, an exhibition, workshops, field trips, and special events highlighting APS history. More information, including online registration and full program, is available at http://meeting.apsnet.org. The advance registration deadline is May 1, 2008.

A news conference on plant diseases and issues that are of importance to Minnesota’s economy and agriculture will be held during the meeting on Monday, July 28 at 1:30 p.m. Members of the media are extended complimentary registration to the annual meeting by contacting Susan Schoepke at sschoepke@scisoc.org or +1.651.994.3802.

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is a nonprofit, professional scientific organization. The research of the organization’s more than 5,000 worldwide members advances the understanding of the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health. Founded in 1908, APS is celebrating 100 years of breakthroughs in plant disease research.