ISHS Acta Horticulturae 382: IV International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Infestation and Disinfestation
PREFACE |
| Authors: | Prof. C. Van Assche, A. Vanachter |
| Abstract:
At the end of our 3th International Symposium on Soil Disinfestation (September 1988), many participants expressed the wish to meet each other on the next symposium within no more than five years. To meet this wish, we organized the 4th International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Infestation and Disinfestation at Leuven from September 12th–17th, 1993, at the Laboratory of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, under the auspieces of the Commission Plant Protection, Working group Soil Borne Pathogens of the I.S.H.S. Our laboratory is already working for about 25 years on the problems of soil borne diseases and soil disinfestation. This research was not possible without the financial support during all these years of the Institute for Encouragement of Scientific Research in Industry and Agriculture (I.W.O.N.L. - I.R.S.I.A.). It was a real pleasure for us to welcome about 125 scientific workers and representatives from the industry from 17 different countries, to discuss and exchange ideas about the new evolution in this highly specialised field of plant protection in intensive horticulture. Chemical soil disinfestation is still very important all over the world, and the recent problems with methyl bromide as a potential ozon depleting agent were discussed by several authors, other chemical an physical disinfestations methods, as well as biological methods were given much attention. Problems with soil borne pathogens in hydroponics were discussed for the first time, as a normal evolution in the intensive horticulture, especially in the North-West of Europe. In general we can state that we feel from all contributions the anxiety for a stable and safe food production, as well as for the safety of the consumer and the environment. Apart from the scientific lectures and discussions, we had the occasion to discuss the more practical problems during the professional excursions to the horticultural regions of West-Vlaanderen and Mechelen, were we visited very modern growing techniques as well as different methods of soil fumigation in greenhouse and open field conditions. In addition to the scientific program, all participants appreciated highly the different informal meetings, organised in the beautiful and historical surroundings of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the Cistercian abbay of Bornem.
As our chairman, Prof.
C. Van Assche stressed during the farewell dinner : "Working together and celebrating together makes great spirits !" The organizing committee is greatly indebted to : The I.W.O.N.L. - I.R.S.I.A. (Institute for Encouragement of Research in Industry and Agriculture) for the subvention of all our research on soil disinfestation and on disease epidemiology and disease management in soilless cultures; The following institutions, organizations and firms for the financial and material support in organizing this Symposium :
The staff of the Laboratory of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, and especially to Miss Kristien Kennes and Mrs. Annita Eraets for their help in organizing our symposium and in preparation of these proceedings. It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you at this Fourth International Symposium on Soil and Substrate Infestation and Disinfestation. I would especially like to thank our Catholic University of Leuven for their warm intimate hospitality and for providing all the facilities for this symposium. You are all engaged and/or interested in research, practice and information and you came from almost twenty different countries, therefore, we feel highly honoured and very pleased to greet every one of you. Regularly organising this Symposium creates a continuous forum where progress, due to agricultural scientific research, is continually confronted with the attitude of producers, consumers, and the government in diversity of ideas and skill between countries, ministries and commissions, all becoming increasingly strict and critical. Thanks to the inestimable support in numerous ways of the "Institute for the encouragement of the scientific research in industry and in agriculture" (I.W.O.N.L.) fundamental research has been concentrated on practically-oriented or realistic applications. In this way, not only are we able to watch things happen, but also we are able to make things happen as well through the applicator and especially the legislation. In our work sessions and in all our personal contacts, I would like to focus your attention on these five points : continuity - criticism - competence - credibility - legality. It is in the spirit of this continuity that such a Symposium is being organised for the fourth time. The grower must be able to deliver a product which comes up to always evolving legal and social standards regarding environment, quality and international trade. In addition to the criticism from public opinion it should be the cultivator's prerogative to demand that competent scientists, legislators and consultants should work together so as to come to a credible application of our knowledge and to credible farming methods. At the level of pesticide regulations generally spoken an important change in interpretation, limitation and authorization can actually be observed, but in this complex authority and the shifts from agronomy to environment evaluation and their ordnances, involvement can be observed often whitnessing of poor mastering of the problem and often from an egoism or easy attitude of declining to others. Representatives of the press, I consider you as our allies : the press is able to translate scientific insight into a more practicable form so that scientific and governmental interventions be not considered as being haphazard but as a further step towards a food production and a plant protection strategy acceptable for both man and his environment.
Good and reliable information both of the professional specialist and of the general public, is a first step towards further co-operation and understanding, based on mutual respect. | |
