Conference info and list of participants

Conference background

Yellow rust is a major wheat disease in the Caucasus, Central and West Asia, the Nile Valley, Red Sea, and the horn of Africa, where it has and continues to incur important yield losses. The apparent increased frequency and severity of yellow rust epidemics raises questions about the nature of the disease, the factors that contribute to epidemic development, and variation in disease response of wheat cultivars. The diversity of the pathogen populations poses a great challenge, but more information is emerging, slowly, about durable resistance to yellow rust of wheat. Evidence suggests that adequate levels of resistance could be obtained with few additive genes, each having small to moderate effect. Despite our advances in knowledge, we need to improve the application of programs to achieve durable resistance.

Recognizing the importance of yellow rust in CWANA, the horn of Africa, and recently its reoccurrence in North Africa, ICARDA has launched a periodic regional conference to enhance interaction among and between NARS scientists, CG Centers, universities and advanced research institutions. Participants have the opportunity to interact and share the latest information about their respective research programs.

This initiative is led by ICARDA and has been supported by CIMMYT, PBI-University of Sydney (Australia), DIAS (now Arhus University in Denmark), and key NARS programs in CAC countries, West Asia, North Africa, and the Nile valley region. This conference (4^th Regional Yellow Rust Conference) follows the 3^rd RYC held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2006; the 2^nd RYC held in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2004; and the 1^st RYC held at SPII, Karaj, Iran in 2001.

4^th Regional yellow rust Conference, Antalya, Turkey, 10-12 Oct 2009

The 4^th RYC was held in Turkey (Antalya October 10-12, 2009) in conjunction with the 12th International Cereal Rusts and Powdery Mildews Conference. Information has been posted at ICARDA and CIMMYT Web Sites: http://www.icarda.cgiar.org; http://www.cimmyt.org; IWWIP web-site: http://www.iwwip.org , and at Rust & Powdery Mildew Conference web site: http://www.icrpmc2009.org

The conference was attended by 79 scientists from 23 countries, including Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey Syria, USA, and Uzbekistan. 57 papers were presented during oral (36 papers) and poster (21 papers) sessions.

Participants accepted the offer of ICARDA to hold the next conference (5^th RYC) at ICARDA’s headquarters in Aleppo, Syria, in 2012.

Participants appreciated and applauded ICARDA’s recognition of the contribution of colleagues (now retired) who have played an important role in the management of Yellow rust in CWANA; they were each awarded a symbolic silver plate.

Sponsorship

Conference was hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (TAGEM) and sponsored by FAO, ICARDA, CIMMYT, and contribution from Sida (Swedish International Cooperation and Development Agency) Project "Support to Seed Industry Development in the Republic of Tajikistan".

Awards

Dr. Omar Mamluk is an ex-ICARDA pathologist whose contribution in the filed of cereal pathology is well recognized at ICARDA. Omar, with his NARS counterpart, launched the first rust surveillance network in the Nile Valley and Red Sea region. With his co-workers, he showed the Yr9 virulence pathway in the region, a study that has been used as the basis of the Ug99 surveillance program.

Professor Mohamed Torabi, a lead research scientist in Iran, established a rust research lab that has been active on race analysis and screening for resistance. He has trained several researchers, developed a surveillance network in Iran, and contributed to training scientists from Central Asia at SPII. Following the yellow rust epidemic of the late 1990, Torabi has been the key player in Iran's national program for rust control.

Mr. Lutfi Cetin, a long-time partner of ICARDA and CIMMYT, played a major role in screening the thousands of wheat lines from the Turkey-CIMMYT-ICARDA (TCI) program for resistance to yellow rust. Most, if not all, of the new varieties released from this program have had Lutfi’s blessing/acceptance for yellow rust resistance. Lutfi, has trained a good team that is now following his good work. Lutfi, who has had no desire for a doctorate degree but rather has had as his main worry making sure that wheat germplasm is well scrutinized for rust resistance, deserves to be awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

Dr. Murat Kosibayev was among the first scientists to interact with ICARDA and CIMMYT and has been instrumental to the understanding of rust epidemiology in CAC countries. He has been a good resource scientist who has lead the surveillance program in Kazakhstan as well as in neighboring countries in Central Asia.

Dr. Musa Seidov, from Azerbaijan, despite limited means has been able to integrate the TCI program and closely collaborate with ICARDA on rust management. Being the only pathologist working on rust in the early 2000s, he has now trained several pathologists with at least 3 at the main research station and one or more at the regional research stations. He has continued to advise his young collaborators in rust monitoring.

Organizing Committees

Regional Organizing Committee

Dr. Maarten Van Ginkel, ICARDA, Committee Chair

Dr. Amor Yahyaoui, ICARDA, Scientific secretary of the conference (ICWIP)

Dr. Alex Morgounov, IWWIP, CIMMYT-Turkey; Member

Dr. Kumarse Nazari, BIGM, ICARDA-Syria; Member

Dr. Mogens Hovmoller, GRC-AARHUS, Denmark; Member

Dr. Christopher Martius, PFU-Tashkent-Uzbekistan; Member

Dr. Colin Wellings, PBI, Sydney-Australia; Member

Dr. Ravi Singh, CIMMYT-Mexico; Member

Dr. Wafa Khoury, AGPP-FAO, Italy; Member

Dr. Hafiz Muminjanov, Tajik Agrarian Univerisity, Tajikistan; Member

Local Organizing Committee

Dr. Masum Burak. TAGEM DG-Chair

Dr. Mesut Keser, ICARDA-Turkey, Co-Chair

Dr. Beyhan Akin, CIMMYT Turkey Member

Prof. Mahinur Akkaya, METU, Member

Mr. Zafer Mert, Central Research Institute for Field Crops, Member

Dr. Necmettin Bolat, Anatolian Agricultural Research Institute, Eskisehir, Member

Dr. Emin Donmez, Central Research Institute for Field Crops, Member

Dr. Vehbi Eser, Field Crops Department, TAGEM, Member

Mr. Mehmet Emin Sahin, Plant Protection Department of General Directorate of Protection and Control, Member

List of participants

	Country	Name
1	Australia	Dr. Colin Wellings
2	Australia	Dr. Alexander Loladze
3	Australia	Dr. Robert Park
4	Azerbaijan	Dr.Ehtibar Ibragimov
5	Azerbaijan	Mr. A.M. Abdullayev
6	Afghanistan	Dr. Noorul Haque Hakimi
7	Afghanistan	Dr. Asadullah Habibi
8	Canada	S. Hambleton
9	China	Prof. Zhensheng Kang
10	China	X. Wang
11	Denmark	Dr. Mogen Hovmoller
12	Denmark	Annemarie Fejer Justesen
13	Denmark	Stephanie Walter
14	Egypt	Dr. Moussa Mosaad
15	France	Dr. Claudine de Vallavieille-Pope
16	Georgia	Ms. Ketino Natsarishvili
17	Georgia	Zoia Sikharulidze
18	India	M.S. Saharan
19	Iran	Mr. Safar Ali Safavi
20	Iran	Dr. Mohammad Reza Jalal Kamali
21	Iran	Dr. Siroos Mahfoozi
22	Iran	Dr. Farzad Afshari
23	Iran	Dr. Alireza Razavi
24	Iran	Dr. mahamed Torabi
25	Iraq	Dr. Mohammed Abdulkhalik Mohammed Al-Hamdany
26	Iraq	Dr. Emad Mahmoud Al-Maaroof
27	Italy	Dr. Wafa El Khoury
28	Italy	Dr. David Hodson
29	Kazakhstan	Dr. Alma Kokhmetova
30	Kazakhstan	Dr. Gulzat Essenbekova
31	Kazakhstan	Dr. Sarbayev Amangeldy
32	Kazakhstan	Yuriy Zelenskiy
33	Kazakhstan	Mr. Kenzhe Abdullayev
34	Kazakhstan	Prof. Murat Koishybayev
35	Kyrgyzstan	Dr. Mira Dzhunusova
36	Morocco	Dr. Brahim Ezzahiri
37	Pakistan	Dr. Makhdoom Hussain
38	Russia	Mr. Uriy Shumilov
39	Tajikistan	Prof. Dr. Hafiz Muminjanov
40	Tajikistan	Mr. Makhbubdzhon Rakhmatov
41	Tajikistan	Ms. Munira Otambekova
42	Tajikistan	Dr. Arne Refsgaard Hede
43	Tajikistan	Dr. Zebiniso Eshonova
44	Tajikistan	Mr. Bakhromiddin Khusenov
45	Tajikistan	Prof. Firuza Nasyrova
46	Turkey	Dr. Alexey Morgounov
47	Turkey	Dr. Mesut Keser
48	Turkey	Dr. Beyhan Akin
49	Turkey	Mr. M.Emin Şahin
50	Turkey	Dr. Masum Burak
51	Turkey	Prof. Mahinur Akkaya
52	Turkey	Mr. Dr. Vehbi Eser
53	Turkey	Mr. Yuksel Kaya
54	Turkey	Dr. Emin Donmez
55	Turkey	Mr. Zafer Mert
56	Turkey	Mr. Kadir Akan
57	Turkey	Dr. Necmettin Bolat
58	Turkey	Mr. Riza Unsal
59	Turkey	Mr. Bahruz Nazarov
60	Turkey	Dr. Yuksel Kaya
61	Turkey	Mr. Ilker Topal
62	Turkey	Ms. Aysel Yorgancilar
63	Turkey	Mr. Abdullah Taner Kilinc
64	Turkey	Mr. Hasan Ay
65	Turkey	ISIN Kusmenoglu
66	Syria	Ms. Shoula Kharouf
67	Syria	Dr. Omran Youssef
68	Syria	Dr. Omar Mamluk
69	Syria	Haitham Kayyali
70	Syria	Dr. Amor Yahyaoui
71	Syria	Dr. Kumarse Nazari
72	Syria	Ms. Maha Al Ahmed
73	Syria	Ms. Iman Maaz
74	Syria	Mr. Ziad Alamdar
75	Syria	S. Murad
76	USA	Dr. Xianming Chen
77	USA	Dr Eugene Milus
78	Uzbekistan	Mr. Safar Alikulov
79	Uzbekistan	Dr. Ram Sharma