ISHS Acta Horticulturae 336: II International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding
FOREWORD |
| Author: | Freddi A. Hammerschlag |
| Abstract:
This volume of Acta Horticulturae contains scientific presentations of the 2nd International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding. This symposium was organized under the auspices of the International Society for Horticultural Science and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and was held June 28-July 2, 1992 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. With accompanying persons, total registration exceeded 200 and 32 countries were represented. The major objective of this symposium was to provide a forum to discuss the utilization of tissue culture and gene transfer techniques for the improvement of horticultural crops. Several years of planning went into the organizing and hosting of this truly international symposium. Such a task was accomplished with the help of many dedicated people. I would especially like to thank members of the Organizing Committee: Dr. R.H. Zimmerman, my co-Chairman, Dr. Ann Callahan, Dr. Rob Griesbach, Dr. Sherry Kitto, Dr. Dan Lineberger, Ms. Olivia Mageau, Dr. Tim Ng, Dr. Harry Swartz, Dr. Ken Torres and Ms. Barbara Hobbs. I would also like to thank Christine Berry, Pam Healey, and Tina Lewis for computer support and help with registration, Dorothy Roach, Jane Wooster and Audrey Lemucci for secretarial support, and Ron Beck, Reuben Cohen, John Cordts, Brenda Cruz, Linda Dunn, Deanna Fishel, Pam Mattis, Kristina Naess, Ed Stover, Mary Wodecki and Zheng Yongping for assisting with registration, tours and slide projection. Not to be forgotten is Dr. Richard Hammerschlag, my husband, who provided emotional support and understanding throughout this extremely demanding period. Of particular significance to the readers of this volume is the fact that all contributed papers were reviewed by at least two of the three Editors. All papers included in this Acta were presented either as a poster, a contributed paper selected for oral presentation, or as an invited lecture. The high quality of the symposium presentations and papers in this volume is due, at least in part, to the dedicated service of the editors. The 1st International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding, held in 1988, emphasized the topic sessions "Organogenesis and Embryogenesis" and "Somacional Variation and Selection". The organizers of the 2nd International Symposium attempted to follow a similar format, but due to tremendous advances over the 4-year period, found it necessary to modify the format to include a session on "Useful Horticultural Genes", a session devoted to addressing "Biotic and Abiotic Stress" and a session on "Advances in Transformation and Field Performance of Tissue-cultured Plants". More than likely, at the 3rd International Symposium in Israel in 1996, the important topic sessions will be "Useful Horticultural Genes", "Advances in Transformation for Horticultural Crop Improvement" and "Advances in the Application of RFLP and RAPD Markers to the Breeding of Horticultural Crops". I am very much looking forward to the 3rd Symposium, and hope I will have a chance, once again, to interact with many of the people who attended the 2nd Symposium. | |
