September 13
Everybody:

We are setting  aside time at the GPDN business meeting for a round table discussion of diagnostic lab highlights in 2005. Each state should be prepared to give a brief presentation on the following.  This can be informal; it doesn't have to be a PowerPoint presentation.  However, if you have new protocols, etc. please bring copies for everyone.

1) Diagnostic highlights for 2005.  What pests were prevalent in the state? Are there emerging problems? For example, wheat streak mosaic was severe in northeastern Colorado, northwestern Kansas and the Nebraska panhandle.  Obviously stripe rust was a concern everywhere and there are new biotypes of the Russian wheat aphid. Bacterial wilt of dry beans also seems to be on the increase. Are there other insects/diseases/weeds we should be on the lookout for?  What diagnostic techniques are available?

2)  Does your state offer special diagnostic services that might be useful to other states ( e.g. endophyte testing, phytoplasma testing, nematode ID, special virus screening, expertise in ID of certain insect groups, etc)? What is the cost of these services?

3)  Did you try any new diagnostic techniques? Also share experience with current diagnostic techniques.  What works well and what doesn't.

4)  What is your experience using the PDIS?  Are there still issues with forwarding info to the NPDN database?

5) What type of infrastructure or support needs to be developed for the GPDN?

6) Other issues?

Ned

-----------------
March 2005
Hi all:

Will Lanier and Rick Grantham have graciously agreed to coordinate a
GPDN insect-vectored disease workshop September 28 and 29, 2005.  The
workshop will be held in Bozeman MT just before (tentatively) the annual
GPDN meeting on Friday  September 30. I can't think of a better place to
be in late September. The workshop will focus on ID of mites  and their
associated plant viruses (day one) and ID of leafhoppers and their
associated plant diseases (day 2).  Please see the following web site
for additional details http://scarab.msu.montana.edu/gpdn/.

Would the GPDN coordinater in each state send me a list of those who are
planning to attend the workshop by May 20?  We may have to limit
participants to 2-3 per state (preferably 1 entomologist and 1
pathologist. Remember that each state is responsible for travel and
lodging of their participants (out of the state GPDN budget).

I would also like for each state to think about methods/ID that they are
currently using for mites, mite transmitted viruses, etc. that they
would be willing to share with the group.
--
Ned Tisserat
Extension Specialist and Professor
Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management
C129 Plant Sciences
Ft. Collins CO 80523
Ned.Tisserat@colostate.edu
970-491-6527
970-491-3862 (FAX)