ISHS Acta Horticulturae 585: VIII International Rubus and Ribes Symposium
PREFACE |
| Authors: | B. Williamson, ISHS Board of Directors |
| Abstract:
FOREWORD The 8th International Rubus and Ribes Symposium held in Dundee was attended by 160 delegates from 27 countries. The size of this Symposium was is testament to the evident increasing scientific interest in these plant genera that can only be regarded as 'minor crops' when compared to arable crops on a world scale of production. In the last 10 years there has been an increasing awareness from the medical literature that there are valuable nutritional components in these berries; indeed a number of studies point to antioxidants and flavenoidsas factors in the diet that help to prevent tumour development. It was therefore highly appropriate that for the first time a whole session of thise Symposium carried a number of key papers dealing withwas devoted to this aspect of berry production and plant chemistry. Another feature of the Symposium to remark upon was the increase in the use of molecular biology, particularly as applied to evolutionary relationships in Rubus and the use of marker-assisted breeding. This area of work is particularly important because ofat a time when the new sources of Ribes and Rubus germplasm in from countries such as Chile, China, Russia and Latvia are being brought into breeding programmes. New relationships between scientists from these nations were forged during the Symposium and this gives me optimism for major improvements in yield traits, winter-hardiness, and pest and disease resistance in the future. Modern DNA-based methods have also been applied recently to solve some of the most intractable problems in pathogen detection for these woody perennials. As a plant pathologist working for c. 30 years with these crops, I am especially pleased that highly specific, rapid and reliable tests have been devised that will improve the prospects for plant quarantine agencies worldwide to safeguard these valuable soft fruit industries providing employment for local communities. I wish to express my sincere thanks to all members of the Organising Committee and the Scientific Committee who worked so hard to make this Symposium and Pre-Symposium Tour such a success. I also thank all our sponsors for their generosity. Finally I want to thank all the delegates who came to Scotland to share their scientific knowledge and experience so freely and with such enthusiasm.
Brian Williamson
PREFACE The ISHS Board of Directors | |
