ChronicaHORTICULTURAE

MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE

Issues

Volume 43 - Number 1 - 2003

ISHS

Nurturing and Nourishing the World’s Poor • 1-MCP: The “magic bullet”? •ISHS: A look into the Future

Horticultural Science NewsSalinity Center joins ISHS • Frontis • Sustainability in Horticulture

Symposia and WorkshopsGenetic Resources of TZFTS • Conference on Urban Horticulture

CONTENTS

Foto on cover: Spray irrigation of Sporobolusvirginicus, United Arab Emirates

ISHS

ChronicaHORTICULTURAE

■ News from the Board3 Horticultural Science Knows No Borders, Norman Looney

■ Issues4 Nurturing and Nourishing the World’s Poor: Important Roles

for Horticulture in Sustainable Development, Ismail Serageldin11 1-Methylcyclopropene: The “magic bullet” for Horticultural

Products?, Robert Prange and John Delong14 ISHS: A Look into the Future, António Monteiro

■ Horticultural Science News17 International Center for Biosaline Agriculture joins ISHS, Faisal

Taha18 Frontis: New Initiative of Wageningen University and Research

Centre, Rob Bogers19 First Symposium on Sustainability in Horticulture: a success,

Lukas Bertschinger22 Countries Seeking Waiver on Methyl Bromide Use22 Herbal Remedies Under Scrutiny22 Reviving plant breeding

■ Symposia and Workshops23 Genetic Resources of Temperate Zone Fruits for Tropics and

Subtropics (TZFTS)24 The First International Conference on Urban Horticulture

■ History26 Restructuring of ISHS 1992-1998, Richard Zimmerman

■ The World of Horticulture28 Adaptation of Temperate Fruit Crops to Subtropical Conditions29 New books, websites32 Courses and Meetings

■ News from the ISHS Secretariat32 New Members34 In Memoriam35 Calendar of ISHS Events37 List of Acta Horticulturae numbers available38 Acta Horticulturae Reviews

Chronica Horticulturae©, ISBN: 90 6605 876 5 (Volume 43 -Number 1; March 2003); ISSN: 0578-039X

Published quarterly by the International Society forHorticultural Science, Leuven, Belgium. Lay-out and printingby Drukkerij Geers, Gent, Belgium. ISHS© 2003. All rightsreserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced and/orpublished in any form, photocopy, microfilm or any othermeans without written permission from the publisher. Contactthe ISHS Secretariat for details on full color advertisements(1/1, 1/2, 1/4 page) and/or mailing lists options.

Editorial Office and Contact Address:

ISHS Secretariat, PO Box 500, B-3001 Leuven 1, Belgium. Tel:(+32)16229427, fax: (+32)16229450, e-mail: info@ishs.org,web: www.ishs.org or www.actahort.org.

Editorial Staff

Jules Janick, Science Editor jjanick@hort.purdue.edu

Jozef Van Assche, Managing Editor jozef@ishs.org

Johanna Mäkilä, Associate Editor chronica@ishs.org

Gerard Weststeijn, Associate Editor - Symposiagerard.weststeijn@ishs.org

Peter Vanderborght, Associate Editor - Production andCirculation peter.vanderborght@ishs.org

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Acta Horticulturae

Acta Horticulturae is the series of proceedings of ISHSScientific Meetings, Symposia or Congresses. (ISSN: 0567-7572). ISHS Members are entitled to a substantial discount onthe price of Acta Horticulturae. For an updated list of availabletitles go to www.ishs.org/acta. A complete and accuraterecord of the entire Acta Horticulturae collection, including allabstracts and full text articles is available online at www.acta-hort.org. ISHS Individual membership includes credits todownload 10 full text Acta Horticulturae articles. ActaHorticulturae titles that are no longer available in print formatare available in the ActaHort CD-ROM format.

ISHS • 2

From the President

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 3

Horticultural Science KnowsNo Borders

NEWS FROM THE BOARDNEWS FROM THE BOARD

Conceived in the spirit that “ScienceKnows No Borders”, this symposiumarose from a meeting of Deans ofAgriculture called by Prof. Dr. GjorgjiMartinovski at the University of Sts. Cyriland Methodius at Skopje, Macedonia. It

Norman Looney

Despite abundant publication sources and quick and easy international com-munication tools, there remains a great need to bring science professionalstogether to build trusting relationships. Indeed, while the ISHS can be proudof Chronica Horticulturae and the scores of new Acta published every year, theBoard is united in the belief that the strength of the Society resides in ourWorking Groups and the international symposia they organize on a regularbasis. We understand that a big attraction of these meetings is the opportuni-ty provided to meet old friends, make new ones, and to update ones thinkingin light of the ideas and experiences of others. We must recognize, however,that the ISHS is not the only provider of such events, even within a specificrealm of horticultural science. As a case in point consider the First Symposiumon Horticulture for South-East Europe held October 16-20, 2002, near Ohrid,Republic of Macedonia.

involved Deans and Directors from uni-versities and research centers representingthe whole of the Balkan Peninsula. Threeof these Deans, Dr. Martinovski, Prof. Dr.Marin Ardelean (University of AgriculturalScience and Veterinary Medicine at Cluj-

Napoca, Romania) and Prof. Dr. VladanMarkovié (University of Novi Sad, Serbiaand Montenegro), have a strong commoninterest in horticultural science. They alsoshare the belief that after a decade of tur-moil within and amongst the countries ofthe Balkan Peninsula, it was time for hor-ticultural science to move forward inpeace and cooperation.The ultimate result brought horticulturalscience educators and researchers togeth-er at Lake Ohrid to present new work andjoin their colleagues in a range of profes-sional and social activities. While horticul-tural science is a time-honored disciplinein all of these countries - and there havecertainly been earlier meetings of aregional nature - this was called the FirstSymposium on Horticulture because itrepresented a new beginning.Proof that this was a very good idea isfound in the impressive number of coun-tries represented. Delegates came fromuniversities and research centers inAlbania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia,Romania, Slovenia, Serbia-Montenegro,and Turkey. More than 200 delegatesattended and 230 papers were delivered. Colleagues from universities and labora-tories that just a few years ago could notmeet because of the dangers of war,assembled at Ohrid to celebrate advancesin horticultural science and industry, toplan cooperative research, to sing anddance, and to dream about future meet-ings that would serve shared interests andneeds. Indeed, they were there to affirmtheir similarities rather than dwell on theirdifferences. It was a privilege for me towitness, on behalf of the worldwide com-munity of horticultural science profession-als, this rebirth of collegiality and goodwill. I encouraged the delegates to moveforward boldly with initiatives that willstrengthen science cooperation in theregion. I pledged the support of the ISHSwhere this might be helpful. I encouragedeach of them to ensure that his or hercountry was well represented at the ISHSCouncil table.Like Professor Martinovski and his col-leagues who organized this excellent First

c

Drs. Looney and Keating with some of the organizers of the Symposium. From left toright: Professor Dr. Gjorgji Martinovski, President of the Symposium and Dean ofAgriculture, University Sts. Cyril and Methodius; Dr. Norah Keating; Dr. Looney; ProfessorDr. Vladan Markovié, Dean of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad; and Dr. JovankaKatarzyna Petrevska, Secretary of the Symposium, University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius

c

My premise is simple: there can be no environmen-tal agenda, no poverty agenda, and no food securi-ty agenda without focusing on the needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries. Horti-culture has important roles to play in achieving thistriple agenda, but before we get to horticulture weneed to review the case for the need to transformagriculture in developing countries with a specialfocus on the small holder farmer.

ISHS • 4

Plenary Lecture 11 August 2002Nurturing and Nourishing the World’sPoor: Important Roles for Horticulturein Sustainable Development

Symposium, I can see a bright future forhorticultural science in South-EastEurope. I see a future where educatorsand researchers meet regularly to reportand plan research, to cooperate and col-laborate, and to build the trust and mutu-al respect that will strengthen horticultureacross the region. I also see the day when

Dr. Norman Looney presenting Professor Dr.Gjorgji Martinovski with the ISHS neck tieat the Gala Dinner held October 18, 2002at the First Symposium on Horticulture forSouth-East Europe. The venue was HotelMetropol on Lake Ohrid, Republic ofMacedonia

the Balkan Peninsula is regularly repre-sented by ISHS Working Group leaderswith each country taking a role inorganizing ISHS-sanctioned symposia.On behalf of the Board I wish our friendsin the Balkan states every success as theymove to reconnect with professional col-leagues in the region and to strengthentheir ties to the rest of the world throughinvolvement with the ISHS. They areacting as true professionals who under-stand that science truly knows noborders.

ISSUESISSUES

Egypt 0.05

Bangladesh 0.09

China 0.11

Indonesia 0.12

Philippines 0.13

India 0.18

Pakistan 0.19

USA 0.71

THE CONTEXT

Let me start with the environmentalcontext. Agriculture is the primary inter-face between human beings and the envi-ronment. It consumes more land andmore water than any other activity, and ofcourse has a profound impact on many ofthe ecosystems we have come to take forgranted. Humans have already trans-formed 43% of the land mass of the

world and are using about 60% of theworld’s sustainably available water. Eachof these resources is directed mainly tosupporting agriculture. We are alsoexhausting the world’s soil nitrogenresources to the extent that 60% of allnitrogen required for crop production isnow applied as manufactured fertilizer.In so doing, in pushing this agricultureagenda forward, we have in factdestroyed many of our forests and other

natural resources. Population growth isthe implacable wheel reducing arable landper person. The land available to smallholder farmers in the most populated ofthese developing countries is gettingsmaller and smaller (Table 1).

Table 1. Arable land per person(ha) in 1999

Norman Looney

by Ismail Serageldin

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 5

Soil erosion, a problem insufficientlyrecognized in the past, is finally beingaddressed. However, progress is slow andinadequate. It is costing us enormousamounts. A recent study by the CGIAR’sInternational Food Policy ResearchInstitute placed the costs of soil erosion atbetween 13 and 28 billion USD per year -in developing countries at about 12 bil-lion USD per year.Water is also an important constraintsince agriculture accounts for nearly two-thirds of global water withdrawals. In thedeveloping countries this value is evenhigher - between 80 and 90% of waterwithdrawals. Much of that water is beingused very ineffectively and inefficiently.The net result is that in certain parts ofthe world we are promoting practicesthat are unsustainable. Practices likeobtaining water for crop production bypumping from aquifers well in excess oftheir ability to recharge. It is estimatedthat 10% of present world grain produc-tion is based on unsustainable under-ground water reserves.The result is rapidly declining water tablesand the necessity to dig deeper anddeeper to find the few remaining drops ofwater. Leaving aside the indignity tohuman beings forced to survive on toolittle water, the environmental impact isadvancing desertification and the parch-ing of lands previously suitable for cropproduction. Those who suffer the conse-quences are invariably the poor.Remote sensing can now show us theextent of these problems. In one yearalone, 1984-85, the Sahara’s boundariesshifted 110 km. This decreased the avail-able land for agriculture by an area of750,000 km2, an area about 21 times thesize of The Netherlands. Agriculture inthe Brazilian rain forest has resulted inmassive destruction and frequent forestfires that now we can track with greatprecision - all the more to know the dam-age we are causing. We are also usingremote sensing and other techniques tounderstand the interface between othersocioeconomic activities and the naturalenvironment. Increasingly we are finding,for example in the Nile Delta of my ownhome country of Egypt, that rapid urban-ization is removing the most valuableland from production - even as we trydesperately to reclaim marginal land inthe desert.Clearly, the issues of promoting properagriculture, proper food supply, andproper income opportunities for the ruralpoor remain very much with us. It is thepoor who carry the burden, who suffer,who are excluded, who are marginalized.It is the poor who must carry this dual

burden of trying to feed the world whiletrying to lift themselves from poverty bytheir bootstraps. The costs of environ-mental degradation are being borne pri-marily by the poor.

NURTURING THE POOR:FIGHTING POVERTY

Nurturing the poor is about fightingpoverty. When we talk about fightingpoverty we must start by recognizingthat this is primarily a problem of thedeveloping world and understand that by2025 about 84% of the world’s peoplewill live in developing countries. We mustalso talk about the astonishing inequitiesthat continue to rise, both within andbetween countries.For example, the assets of the world’sthree richest people exceed the combinedGDP of the poorest 48 countries! Theworld’s 15 richest people have assets thatexceed the total GDP of sub-SaharanAfrica with its 550 million inhabitants.There are rich people in poor countriesand there are poor people in rich coun-tries, but the conditions of misery associ-ated with poverty in the developing worldare beneath any definition of humandecency. People scrounge around ingarbage to stay alive.While an enormous gap exists betweenthe world’s rich and poor countries, manyrich countries refuse to direct even 0.3%of their GNP to support developmentassistance. At the same time, so manyarticles of luxury are now accepted stan-dards of modern life. While many in richcountries seek increasingly outrageousways to spend their leisure money, formore than 1.2 billion people life is a mis-ery of a kind that is difficult to imagine.There are also important gradations ofpoverty within developing countries.While there is much poverty in urban cen-ters (we often see this in televised docu-mentaries), farmers in these countries areeven poorer. By any measure one wishesto choose, from life expectancy at birth,level of consumption, access to education,access to health services, or number ofyears of schooling completed, people inurban centers are invariably better offthan those in rural areas. Sadly, it is thesmall holder farmers who subsidize theurban poor, the main buyers of their pro-duce, by lowering prices. This translatesimmediately into money in the pockets ofthe urban poor - more effectively thanany administrative program could everachieve.Here let me point out that urban agricul-ture, urban food production, is growing inimportance. This is a relatively new phe-

nomenon that depends almost entirely onhorticulture. Thus, horticulture is uniquein that it can directly address poverty andfood security issues in both urban andrural areas of the developing world.Gender represents another realm forinequity and inequality since in much ofthe developing world it is women whocarry the burden for both agriculture andnurturing the family. Access to educationis yet another. Sadly, the schools that doexist in rural areas of many developingcountries lack furniture, chairs and books.Many children, most often girls, fail toattend school at all.Despite these blatant inequities, we can-not simply blame the rich. We must rec-ognize the failures of policy makers in thedeveloping countries themselves for fail-ing to nurture the poor. For example,there is typically a strong urban bias thatfavors investment in the urban centers atthe expense of agriculture and rural com-munities. We need to remove this urbanbias so that there will be greater invest-ment in education and health, in ruralroads and other infrastructure that bene-fits rural communities. Perversely, whatoften happens is that when we do finallysee a policy that appears to support ruraldevelopment it invariably benefits thelarge land owner rather than the smallholder farmer. Investments in roads, forexample, are commonly not directed tothe needs of the rural community at large.We need to remove distorting price poli-cies that adversely affect agriculture. Weneed monetary instruments accessible tothe rural poor, without which they are leftto the mercies of money lenders.Typically, there is no credit available to therural poor. Muhammad Yunus rightlyreceived the 1994 World Food Prize forinventing and popularizing micro credit.So, nurturing the poor is about fightingpoverty. It is about addressing seriousinequities in the distribution of wealth andopportunity. Fighting poverty is a moralobligation.

NOURISHING THE POOR:PROMOTING FOODSECURITY

No place does this moral imperativebecome clearer than in the need toachieve food security throughout thedeveloping world. Food, after all, is themost basic of all human needs, the mostfundamental of all human rights. Foodsecurity is about access to sufficient foodby all people, at all times - in terms ofquality, quantity and diversity - for anactive and healthy life without risk of loss

ISHS • 6

of such access. This last phrase is aboutvulnerability. In effect, with ongoing pop-ulation growth we have a situation inthese countries where it is essential tomaintain the capacity for food productionand distribution, to deliver food in suffi-cient quantities and at accessible prices,and do this in a manner that does notdestroy our environment. This is not aneasy task but it must be done. We must,as Norman Borlaug would say, producedifferently, not less.It will not work to simply move food pro-duced in Canada, United States andAustralia to the developing world unless itis going to involve massive amounts andlong term commitments. Furthermore,unless this food is highly subsidized orfree, it is unlikely that incomes in devel-oping countries can sustain such a model.Thus, achieving food security in thedeveloping world will require the transfor-mation of these economies and a dou-bling of the trade exports from the northto the south. This means reaching smallholder farmers in the developing worldand transforming their agricultural pro-duction. In many cases this also meansdealing with very difficult, low potentialenvironments where it is not easy to seehow such transformations can be accom-plished.Our lack of success in addressing foodsecurity in developing countries meansthat today:- Malnutrition kills 40,000 people every

day- Some 800 million people - mostly

women and children - are chronicallymalnourished

- There is serious “hidden hunger.” Forexample, 2 billion people suffer irondeficiency; 600 million iodine deficien-cy; and many millions suffer vitamin Adeficiency.

Clearly, food security is a complex prob-lem that must be tackled on many levels,not just on the production side or on theprice side. There are many obstacles, butto deal with food security we must firstrecognize that we have to move beyond atechnical analysis. Thus, I have takenupon myself the promise that I willalways, when given the chance to addressan audience such as this, remind you thatwe must bring to this task more than asense of commitment. We must bring afeeling of moral outrage!We must re-capture the moral outragefelt by those in the 19th century who con-sidered the practice of slavery and saidthat it was abominable and had to beabolished. They did not say that this prob-lem was technically difficult, that we

should reduce slavery by a certain per-centage, or that we should improve thecondition of the slaves. They said that itwas morally reprehensible and had to beabolished as quickly as possible! Theybecame known as the abolitionists, one ofgreatest being Frederick Douglas who,incidentally, was also one of the earliest torecognize the right of women to universalsuffrage.

In our lives today when we look at thecondition of food availability to the privi-leged minority, including those of us heretoday, and compare it to the condition ofpoverty and misery that exists elsewhere;when we consider the rising problem ofobesity in many northern countries andconsider that starvation is at the sametime increasing, we must become the newabolitionists! We must say, with a deepmoral outrage, that it is not acceptablethat in this day and age we should live ina world where 800 million people aredenied this most basic of human rightsand that in fact so many of them, mostlychildren, die of their chronic malnourish-ment. Starvation and malnutrition mustbe abolished as a condition of our owncommon humanity!

Returning to the 19th Century, AbrahamLincoln said to the American people that ahouse divided cannot stand, that a nationcannot survive half slave and half free.Well, I say to you that a world dividedcannot stand, that humanity cannot sur-vive partly rich and mostly miserably poor,where nearly a billion people are chroni-cally malnourished. We must view thisscene with moral indignation and recog-nize that impoverishment and starvationwill not disappear until we recognize theimportance of nurturing the world’s poor,of empowering them to solve their ownproblems. And they must be adequatelynourished - if they are too weak to work,too weak to withstand disease, how canthey improve their conditions?

SUSTAINABILITY AND THEPRODUCTION CHALLENGE

While food production is not the be alland end all for food security, it is certainlya necessary requirement. Without in-creased production, prices will go up andaccess will be denied to even more peoplethan are denied today. We need to focuson the small holder farmers in developingcountries as key players in achieving thegoals of environmental protection and

stewardship, poverty reduction, and foodsecurity.

Why in the developing countries?Because that is where the demand forfood is, and will continue to be enor-mous. If you look at global demand forcereal grains over a 25-year period youwill discover that the industrialized coun-tries account for roughly 15% of thisdemand while 85% is in developingcountries. The same is true for meatproducts. Note here that the demand inIndia will remain quite small because themajority retain a vegetarian diet.However, as China’s population andwealth increase so does the demand formeat proteins.When it comes to roots and tubers, thedemand in the most industrialized coun-tries will account for less than 3% of pro-duction while 85 to 97% will be used inthe developing countries. While thispoints to the ongoing importance ofinternational trade in food, there must bea transformation of the agriculture indeveloping countries if these foodrequirements are to be met.How will we deal with this need toincrease production in the developingworld? We must either increase the areaunder cultivation or increase yields. I willargue that increasing yields is the onlyviable option.Increasing the land under cultivation willbe detrimental to the retention of habitatand biodiversity and reclaiming desertland is very costly. Destroying habitat andbiodiversity, of course, raises importantethical issues - issues like allowing otherspecies to become extinct. But more tothe point, it disrupts valuable ecosystemlinkages we are just beginning to under-stand and we risk losing species beforetheir full value to humankind is discov-ered. One example - the Pacific yew wasconsidered a ‘trash’ tree until its bark wasfound to contain taxol, a compound usedto fight ovarian, lung, and other cancers.It is an example of the more than 50% ofall plant and animal species that occur inrainforests, nature’s greenhouse. Theseare species that possess still undiscoveredbenefits to life and occupy a habitat weare destroying at an alarming rate.To further illustrate the point that losinghabitat and biodiversity can be very cost-ly to humans, take note of the fact thatthere are presently about 100 commer-cially traded drugs derived from plants.Of the top 20 drugs sold in the USA (witha combined value of 6 billion USD peryear), two come from natural sources,

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 7

eight are synthetics modeled on naturalcompounds, and seven have pharmaco-logical activity discovered in natural prod-ucts. We are discovering every day, inwhat we have thought of as ‘junk’ areasof nature, enormously valuable examplesof biodiversity that will prove useful tohuman life, let alone invoking the ethicalissue of saving species from extinction.

But back to increasing yields. If we are torefrain from increasing the amount of landdevoted to agriculture, we must increaseyields. We have three options available tous today:- High input agriculture- Organic/peasant farming- Sustainable precision farming that com-

bines the best science with best man-agement practices

High input agriculture is what we know inindustrialized countries. Largely a phe-nomenon of the past 50 years or so, itrelies heavily on chemical and energyinputs. It is often associated with large,highly capitalized production units. It isnot a model easily applied to the smallholder farms of developing countries.It also carries with it many issues aboutenvironmental degradation. For example,look at the increase in global fertilizer andpesticide usage over the past 50 years.From 1950 to 2000, nitrogen fertilizer

usage increased 23 fold, phosphorouseight fold, and potassium four fold.During this same time period global pesti-cide usage increased more than 50 fold.This increasing reliance on chemical inputshas led many in the industrialized world totalk about the organic farming movementand to promote organic or peasant farm-ing as a substitute. However, this conceptmeans quite different things to differentpeople. In Europe and the USA, “organicfarming” serves a particular market nicheinvolving a small proportion of con-sumers. It is clearly different than thepeasant farming in the small holder blocksof which I speak and both are differentthan the precision farming alternativewhich I will discuss later.Organic farming in rich countries is com-monly defined as farming without syn-thetic chemical inputs, no biotechnology,and limited mechanization. When coupledwith good management it can be environ-mentally friendly. However, yield is oftendependent on manure applicationsobtained from neighboring industrializedfarms - a reality often not properly fac-tored in when discussing either the eco-nomic or the ecological sustainability ofthis practice. If this manure was to beobtained by having the cattle graze onopen farm land, the amount of landrequired for organic farming would beenormous and the penalty in terms ofyield would be felt much more seriously.Nonetheless, organic farming, while likelyto remain an important niche marketactivity within the OECD countries, doesrepresent a part of the solution. It con-tributes to the world food supply.

Likewise, while peasant farming remainsan important source of traditional knowl-edge and experience, it can only be aPART of the long term solution to foodinsecurity. That long-term solution will beprecision farming marrying the best of sci-ence for the needs of the poor.Look at the facts. In 1900 everyone waspracticing a form of organic peasant agri-culture and the 850 million ha under cul-tivation fed 1.6 billion people. In 2000 theland in developing countries cultivated inthis manner has increased to 1.5 billion hawith the capability of feeding about 2.9billion people. With another 300 millionsupported by fishing and grazing, thisproduction system has the ability to feeda total of about 3.2 billion people usingthe diet and consumption levels of 1900.If we use the diet and consumption levelsof 2000 this figure drops to 2.4 billion orroughly 40% of the 6 billion people thatmust be fed. Clearly, this production isvery short of what is needed even today.If these peasant farmers use higher yield-ing varieties, bred conventionally as perthe Nobel Prize winning contribution ofNorman Borlaug and produced with thebest agronomic management, we couldincrease the number fed at current percapita consumption values to perhaps 4or 5 billion. This is still far short of feedingthe 8 billion that will be necessary in a fewshort years. More is needed.Furthermore, it is important to understandthat the economics of organic/peasantfarming relies on low wages and highlabor availability - an extreme povertysubsistence model that must not be per-petuated. I fear that the rich young peo-ple I meet working with NGO’s in Europepromoting organic/peasant agriculturefail to realize that peasant farminginvolves back breaking work. It is misery.Subsistence farming is not romantic at all.One of our first tasks should be to helpthese people get off their knees, to standtall and have a better future.So sustainable precision farming is whatwe are left with; adapting and applyingthe best of science to small holder farmswill be required if we are to meet presentand future food needs of the least devel-oped countries. Can we combine andmobilize the best science and the bestmanagement for crop production by thesmall holder farmer? I think we can. Wehave to focus on increasing biologicalyields, improving nutrient content, pro-ducing more intensively (which puts thefocus on horticulture), and managingnatural resources in a sustainable manner.Horticulture has a central role to play inthis new paradigm - but one must first askthe question: can science alone help bring

Village in the savannah of Central Africa(© Prasac 2002)

ISHS • 8

about this sustainable precision agricul-ture?

THE ROLE OF SCIENCE:AGRICULTURAL ANDHORTICULTURAL RESEARCHIN THE NEW CENTURY

First let us look back briefly at the past 50years. I have already mentioned that therehas been a great increase in the use of fer-tilizers and pesticides that has boostedproductivity. However, there was also amajor transformation in the productivityof food grains for which Dr. Borlaug, thefather of the ‘green revolution’, has beenrecognized. While it is nowadays not sofashionable to applaud the green revolu-tion, the facts are that it stopped a poten-tial famine in South Asia, it has savedland, and while leaving a large institutio-nal agenda un-tackled, it is still spreading.The genetic improvements during thatperiod allowed yields to increase dramati-cally. In India, for example, grain yieldswent from 87 million tonnes in 1961 to197 million tonnes in 1990 without asignificant increase in the amount of landused to grow grain. Without thisincreased productivity the amount of landrequired to achieve this yield would havehad to double.If you total these areas of land “saved”because of the green revolution aroundthe world it amounts to about 300 millionha, more than the area of arable land inCanada, the USA and Brazil combined!How many more forests would have beendestroyed had it not been for the greenrevolution? How many more specieswould have become extinct? And therevolution continues - crop productivityresearch at the CGIAR Future HarvestCenters has reached 75% of all thegermplasm of the mandate crops aroundthe world, an enormous achievement.People say that biodiversity has been lostbecause of the green revolution. I answerthem by saying - don’t single out thegreen revolution. The fact is that in prac-tically all of developed countries, a fewelite cultivars now dominate. This is notbecause of the green revolution or someimperialist plot; it is because of the natu-ral forces of the market. Furthermore,these historic cultivars have not actuallybeen lost - most of these old cultivars arepreserved in gene banks today, organizedand accessible in ways that they neverwere before. The CGIAR holds the biggestcollection of germplasm in the world,600,000 accessions, a collection that in1994 was put under the governance ofthe United Nations.

What we should really be concernedabout is humanity’s narrow food base.While 20,000 of the worlds roughly250,000 plant species are considerededible, only about 3000 are used for foodand only a few hundred cultivated. Ofthese only 100 species are, or have beenin recent history, seriously cultivated.Today, as few as 12 crops account forabout 95% of the human food basewhen viewed globally. Thus, more atten-tion must be paid to horticulture in theinternational development agenda - moreattention to the production and localavailability of niche foods, more attentionto diversifying the nutritional base wherethe gamut of local varieties can come intoplay.Horticultural science can contributeimportantly to the ‘Doubly GreenRevolution’ that will be the next phase ofthe green revolution movement. It will becharacterized by- More genetic diversity - greater num-

bers of crops and varieties to broadenthe nutritional, economic, and ecologi-cal base

- Fewer chemical inputs - better use ofnature’s own integrated pest manage-ment

- Integrated soil, water and nutrient man-agement - promoting alternatives tobad practices such as slash and burn,adopting practices like the agroforestry

model developed by Dr. Pedro Sanchezand others

- Practices appropriate to the environ-mental and socioeconomic context ofthe small holder farm

Achieving this ‘doubly green revolution’will require a double shift in our researchparadigm.The first shift is to Contextualize CropResearch. Whereas 30-40 years ago ourresearch focused on large scale produc-tion of rice or wheat, we have to contex-tualize our research to recognize thefarming systems and the socioeconomicand gender dimensions of poor small-holder farmers. It must take into account,for example, that the women farmers ofAfrica produce 80% of the food, earn10% of the wage income, and own only1% of the land. (In fact, working directlywith women farmers has proven the bestway to spread good practices).It must take into account that postharvestlosses are often 30% or higher becausemarkets are too distant or are unavailablewhen needed. It must recognize thatchronic malnutrition cries for varieties andproduction practices that enhance thenutritional value of locally producedfoods.This research must recognize and exploitthe synergies that can accrue from com-binations of agriculture, horticulture, live-stock, aquaculture and agroforestry. The

Field of a village in the savannah of Central Africa (© Prasac 2002)

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 9

ICRAF agroforestry projects discussed atthis meeting by Pedro Sanchez provideproof that exploiting such synergies canhave great socioeconomic value and alsobe highly beneficial to the environment.The second shift required is to Mobilizethe New Biology for the benefit of smallholder agriculture around the world.Many elements of the genetic revolutionare already being mobilized. At researchinstitutes around the world we find ampleevidence of marker assisted selection, tis-sue culture technology to propagate elitecultivars, genetic mapping, and QTLanalysis. The only area of biotechnologyremaining something of a taboo isgenetic engineering. When it comes totransgenes or other techniques ofgenetic engineering you get suddenly ahuge back-lash from the public.Yet it is perhaps that technique that willallow us to marry traditional wisdom andmodern science in the most effective waypossible - to capture the diversity andrichness that is available in so-calledexotic varieties, wild races or wild rela-tives. For that is the genetic imperative -to go beyond marker assisted selectionand genetic mapping. To go beyond theselection by phenotype which farmersand traditional plant breeders have donein the past; to look at the genome andselect desirable genes.It is instructive to look at the small portionof the tomato and rice genetic resourcethat is captured with our modern culti-vated varieties. Even if we set aside trans-gene technology, there are many exam-ples of the great progress that can bemade by transferring a subset of allelesfrom a wild species to improve a charac-teristic of an elite cultivar. I would referyou to the paper by Tanksley andMcCouch (Science, 22 August 1997)where they provide excellent examples ofunlocking the genetic potential of somewild relatives of modern crop plants.Increasing red color (lycopene content) ofcultivated tomato (Lycopersicon esculen-tum) by transferring a specific quantita-tive trait loci (QTL) from L. hirsutum isespecially impressive given the fact thatthe small fruits of L. hirsutum remaingreen even when ripe. Similarly, increas-ing fruit size of an elite cultivar by 11%was achieved by incorporating a QTL forfruit size from L. pimpinellifolium, aspecies with extremely small fruits.So, the potential for addressing foodquality and crop productivity challengeswith modern molecular genetics isimmense. These technologies must beapplied if we are to achieve the “doublygreen revolution”.The new research paradigm must also

involve farmers in research design andimplementation using a participatorymodel. They can tell you where the keyproblems are and then participate in theimplementation of the research results.This hand in hand approach between sci-entists and farmers links the ultimateusers and the producers of these newtechnologies.Transgene technology opens amazingnew possibilities but it has not been pos-sible to have a serious discussion aboutthis face of biotechnology since Dollygraced the pages of all of the newspapersof the world on 22 February 1997. Sincethen we have had hysteria in many of ourdiscussions. Public acceptance has beenvery low and there are reasons for that.The primary reason is that people havenot benefited enough from this technolo-gy. They have not seen the immediatebenefits as a consumer. They hear onlyabout the risks.Furthermore, there has been a conflationof the issues. We need to separate theissues. There are ethical issues about tin-kering with nature - about where ourplace is in the universe. These are quitedifferent from safety issues, whether forfood or for the environment, where scien-tific inquiry can provide some answers. There are economic concentration argu-ments. I have some friends who arguethat this is dangerous science and ask me“do you want four companies to control90% of the seed production of theworld?” I say - that is a different issue.After all, the United States governmenthas taken Microsoft to court over an eco-nomic concentration argument. Theydon’t say that software is unhealthy. Youcan separate the issues and it is importantthat we do so.There are serious issues relating to theownership of intellectual property rights.Ownership of genes and key techniquesof molecular genetics can prevent devel-oping country laboratories from doingvery worthwhile research. After the col-lapse of the Soviet Union, the practice ofprotecting intellectual property rights inthe new biology is now largely dominatedby the USA. The American legal systemhas recognized this opportunity andmoved quickly to set up structures to pro-tect IP. This will become an issue for theWorld Trade Organization to addressunder its agreement on Trade-RelatedAspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS).Unfortunately, there is a real risk that thevery science that can do so much for thepoor can instead increase the dividebetween rich and poor. If the ownershipof key research inputs prevents their use

in research in the developing world wewill be moving toward a system of “sci-entific apartheid!” We need imaginativeproposals for partnerships with the privatesector to see that we do not take thatpath.

HORTICULTURE ANDSUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT: MULTIPLELINKS

With this let us go back to horticulturethat has been running as a threadthroughout all this. There is no doubt inmy mind that there are multiple links andmultiple benefits within the context ofsustainable development.- The demand for flowers, fruits and nuts,

ornamentals, vegetables, medicinalplants, and herbs and spices is growingfaster than other sectors of world agri-culture

- Much of the growth of horticulturalindustry is occurring in the developingworld, home to the bulk of humanityand most of the poor

- New technologies, knowledge, institu-tions and policies relating to horticulturewill empower producers to tap intopotentially lucrative markets

- Horticultural plants and plant productscontribute enormously to the diet andhealth of humans everywhere

- There are multiple aesthetic and lifequality values arising from the art andscience of horticulture - from flowersand other ornamental plants, trees,parks and gardens, etc.

- Horticulture contributes importantly toincome, livelihoods and diversification,and is well suited to small holdings andfamily enterprise in the developingworld

Horticulture, of course, also has importanthistorical and cultural dimensions.Records from ancient Egypt tell howflowers prominently embellished thepalaces of Nefertiti and Akhenaten andrecurred as decorative motifs. In the1960’s, flowers in the hair was a sign ofsocial revolution; in the drama of ordinaryhuman lives, flowers signify love and joyand salve sickness and sorrow.Horticulture brings joy to our lives. Today,Americans spend 15 billion USD / year onflowers and plants - four times more thanone generation ago. The question is -who is nimble enough to take full advan-tage of that market in the USA and else-where?Well, you can’t talk about flower produc-tion and marketing without talking aboutthe Netherlands. The flower market at

ISHS • 10

Aalsmeer handles about 60% of theworld’s total cut-flower exports with 3 bil-lion USD in revenues in 1999. Nineteenmillion flowers are marketed every dayinvolving about 40,000 transactions - thisin a country with a climate much poorerthan Colombia or Ecuador.Admittedly, much of this economic activi-ty involves flowers produced elsewhere,but one must marvel at what is achievedin the Netherlands using their glasshousetechnology. I have had the privilege tostudy this industry and was amazed todiscover that their 10,000 ha ofglasshouses produce more for theNetherlands than 2 million ha of agricul-tural land - agricultural land that isamongst the most productive in theworld!These greenhouses have environmentsthat are totally controlled. Water andevery other nutrient is provided in exactquantities. Light is controlled for the num-ber of hours required. Water is purifiedand re-circulated for years. It is a systemwhere very few plants are lost during theentire process of bringing them from seedto full flower. Every flower has a marking,like a batch of medicine, so that they cantell you exactly when, where, and how itwas produced and marketed. Productionefficiency is such that they can air freightflowers to Sydney in 18 hours and sellthem at prices that are competitive withlocal producers in Australia.While we may not yet be ready to trans-fer this precise model of glasshouse tech-nology and business management to thedeveloping world, we must not under-estimate what can be achieved by smallscale farmers working in concert. Forexample, it has been demonstrated inIndia that small scale production can bereplicated on a massive scale. Here, wheremilk production involves primarily small-scale farmers selling to cooperatives, pro-duction now exceeds that of the UnitedStates. In fact, India is now the world’slargest dairy producer.Horticulture, of all agricultural sciencepursuits, is best suited to improving thelot of small holder farmers in developingcountries. It can be a key tool for achiev-ing the triple challenge of food security,poverty reduction, and environmentalenhancement/stewardship.Horticulture crop production is appro-priate for small-holder farmers usingfamily labour. It is about high value cropsmanaged intensively to achieve replicableresults. Horticulture is eco-friendly whenpracticed with sound management. Fruitsand vegetables contribute to a healthydiet. Herbs and spices add interest to our

food and the international demand formedicinal plants is increasing every year.Flowers bring joy to our lives.Keeping in mind the Indian example ofsmall-holder dairy farmers organizing intoa large industry, there are many casesof emerging horticultural enterprise indeveloping countries. In Colombia, forexample, total flower exports were valuedat 580 million USD in 2000. Roses werethe leading crop (valued at 177 millionUSD) but more than 50 types of flowerswere exported. With 30,000 boxes offlowers shipped daily, achieved only 8years after the industry was established,Colombia is now second only to theNetherlands in the export flower business.Across Colombia, but mainly in the regionof Sabana de Bogotá, there are now 4500ha of flower plantations and 130,000people are directly or indirectly employedwithin this industry and an additional7,000 workers are employed in the USAto handle these flowers. These days, twoout of every three flowers sold in the USAcome from Colombia.The Florverde strategy describes the inte-grated Colombian strategy for optimizingthe use of national resources and improv-ing long-term profitability within the con-cept of sustainable development. It has ahuman component of optimizing the useof Colombian human resources and anenvironmental component that aims toreduce and improve the use of pesticides,rationalize the administration and use ofenergy, water and other resources, andprevent any negative impacts on the land-scape.Ecuador, despite a general economicdownturn, is also maintaining successwith its emerging flower industry. Here isa country that is home to 16,000 speciesof vascular plants, including 3,300 orchidspecies. Ecuador now follows Colombia asthe world’s third flower producer.Another example is the production ofgreen beans in Kenya for export toEurope. In all of these cases horticulture iscontributing to a turn-around in a devel-oping country. These achievements havenot received the attention they deservebecause the international community hasbeen so focused on the production andtrade in cereals.

TOWARDS A BETTERTOMORROW

Clearly, horticulture has multiple roles inplay in building a better tomorrow. It canhelp poor farmers improve the nutrition oftheir families. It can improve familyincomes - horticultural products are now

ABOUT THEAUTHOR

Ismail Serageldin isDirector of theLibrary of Alexan-dria in his nativeEgypt and Distin-guished UniversityProfessor at Wage-ningen Universityin the Netherlands.Dr. Serageldin hasserved in a numberof capacities at theWorld Bank, latter-

ly as a vice president with briefs on envi-ronmentally and socially sustainabledevelopment, and special programmes.He is also a member of advisory commit-tees for several academic and scientificinstitutions, including the Indian NationalAcademy of Agricultural Sciences and theEuropean Academy of Sciences and Arts.He served as chairman of theConsultative Group on InternationalAgricultural Research (CGIAR) from1994-2000. Dr. Serageldin has writtenmore than 45 books and monographsand over 200 papers on a variety oftopics including biotechnology, ruraldevelopment, sustainability, and the valueof science to society.Contact: Library of Alexandria, Shatby,Alexandria 21526, Egypt, Phone:(+20)34879993, fax: (+20)34830339.

being exported from even the world’sleast developed countries. It will beincreasingly recognized as a key ingredi-ent of urban agriculture. It can help smallholder farmers make the transition fromsubsistence farming to commercial pro-duction.Each of us has an individual role to play intransforming agriculture from what it hasbeen in the past to a much healthier,richer, and more productive humanactivity. We must eliminate the back-breaking nature of subsistence farming.We must eliminate poverty, malnutrition,and human exploitation. We must workto ensure that today’s children, whenthey grow up, will have the food theyrequire. In so doing we will be acting astrue stewards of the earth.

IsmailSerageldin

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 11

New postharvest chemical 1-MCP1-Methylcyclopropene: The “magicbullet” for Horticultural Products?

DISCOVERY OF 1-MCP ASAN ETHYLENE INHIBITOR

The discovery of 1-MCP as an ethyleneinhibitor began in the late 1980s withresearch by Blankenship and Sisler(Blankenship, 2003). Little was knownabout how ethylene reacted with itsreceptors or receptor characteristization.In order to improve extraction and purifi-cation of the receptors molecules,Blankenship and Sisler decided to look fora compound, other than ethylene, thatwould bind tightly to the receptor site andserve as a “tag” during extraction andpurification procedures.They first considered 2,5-norbornadieneas it inhibited ethylene action. However, itwould disassociate from the sites tooquickly and had a disagreeable odour. Asecond compound, diazocyclopentadiene(DACP) was examined (Sisler andBlankenship, 1993a) and althoughresearch showed it was effective inbinding to ethylene receptors, it requiredactivation by light. An ingenious experi-ment with green tomatoes demonstratedthat light generated an unknown DACP-degradation product which was thechemical responsible for inhibitingethylene action (Sisler and Blankenship,1993b). DACP in a sealed flask was firstexposed to light for a period of time afterwhich the “DACP + light product” washeld in the dark to allow any transitorylight product to disappear. The light-treat-ed DACP was then put in a container ofdark-stored green tomatoes. The toma-toes stayed green, indicating theunknown breakdown product of DACPwas stable and effective in blocking toma-to ripening.

by Robert K. Prange and John M. DeLong

1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a new postharvest chemical that is attrac-ting the attention of scientists and the horticultural industry world-wide. Thescientific research on this compound has shown it is a powerful inhibitor ofethylene action and capable of maintaining postharvest quality in many freshhorticultural products. At the 2002 International Horticultural Congress inToronto, an entire day of presentations in the Postharvest Symposium wasdevoted to 1-MCP, attracting an audience of nearly 500 researchers. Clearly,the horticultural world is wondering if this compound is the universal “magicbullet” that will cure many postharvest problems.

The search to identify the compound(s)eventually focused on cyclopropenes,which gave similar results to theunknown, including effective ethyleneinhibition. This discovery resulted in apatent describing the use of cyclo-propenes, including 1-MCP, as effective

inhibitors of ethylene action (Sisler andBlankenship, 1996). The cyclopropenes,for example, cyclopropene (CP), 1-MCP,3-methylcyclopropene (3-MCP) and 3,3-dimethyl-cyclopropene (3,3-DMCP) (Fig.1) are all active, but CP and 1-MCP are 3times more active than 3-MCP and 1,000more active than 3,3-DMCP (Sisler et al.,2001). All four are gases at room tempe-rature and have no odour at physiologi-cally active concentrations. 1-MCP is themost preferred form since it is more stablethan CP and more active than 3-MCP and3,3-DMCP.

MODE OF ACTION

Binder and Bleecker (2003) provide themost recent theory on how 1-MCP mayact to block ethylene action, based onextensive research using Arabidopsis. Thecurrent thinking on ethylene action isbased on a negative regulator model ofethylene receptor function (Fig. 2). In the

Cyclopropene (CP)1-Methylcyclopropene (1- MCP)

3,3-dimethylcyclopropene (3,3-DMCP)

Figure 1. Examples of four cyclopropenes.

3-Methylcyclopropene (3-MCP)

ISHS • 12

absence of ethylene (Fig. 2a), ethylenereceptors (ETR1, ETR2, EIN4, ERS1 andERS2) are in the active (inhibitory) state(active state is shown as green in Fig. 2).Some of these receptors, e.g., ETR1 andERS1, act directly on the CTR1 protein,whereas other receptors, e.g. ETR2, EIN4,ERS2, act more indirectly. In this activestate, they allow CTR1 protein to inacti-vate the EIN2 protein (inactive state isshown as red in Fig. 2), which is essential

Inverse agonist and cooperative receptor model of ethylene action. (a) At low ethylene concentrations, unoccupied receptors activate CTR1 which sup-presses ethylene responses. Primary signaling is through ETR1 and ERS1. ETR2, EIN4, and ERS2 signal less effectively to CTR1 but stimulate ETR1 andERS1. (b) When the concentration of the hormone increases, ethylene binds to the receptors which leads to deactivation of the receptors and therelease of inhibition by CTR1. The dominant-insensitive alleles etr1-1 (c) and ein4-1 (d) are locked in the active state because they cannot bindethylene. The etr1-1 receptor continues to activate CTR1 and inhibit the ethylene response pathway even when the remaining receptors are inhibitedby ethylene. The ein4-1 receptor continues to activate CTR1, perhaps through interaction with ETR1 and ERS1, even in the presence of ethylene. (e)In triple receptor null plants containing only ETR1 and ERS1, the reduced receptor number results in insufficient activation of ETR1 and ERS1. This, inturn, leads to a reduced activation of CTR1 and constitutive ethylene responses. (f) In the double receptor null plants that lack ETR1 and ERS1, theremaining receptors are incapable of maintaining sufficient activation of CTR1 because the primary signaling receptors are missing. (From Binder andBleecker, 2003).

Figure 2.

in promoting known ethylene responses.In this model, ethylene is considered anegative regulator; hence, when ethyleneis present (Fig. 2b), it binds to its receptorsand inactivates them and CTR1 as well.With CTR1 inactivated, the EIN2 proteincan revert to its active form and produceknown ethylene responses in the plant.Further evidence supporting this model ispresented in Fig. 2 (c,d,e,f). When there isa change to alleles which produce recep-

tors that cannot bind ethylene, e.g. etr1-1(Fig. 2c) or ein4-1 (Fig. 2d), CTR1remains active. When there are only ETR1and ERS1 receptors (Fig. 2e) or only ETR2,EIN4 and ERS2 receptors (Fig. 2f), there isinsufficient activation of CTR1 and ethyl-ene responses proceed without any ethyl-ene binding to these receptors. Using thismodel of ethylene action, Binder andBleecker (2003) propose that 1-MCP(shown as blue in Fig. 3 a,b) suppresses

(a)(a)(a)(a) (b)(a)

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CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 13

Our current model is that 1-MCP suppresses the ethylene response pathway by permanently activating ethylene receptors. (a) When 1-MCP binds toa highly expressed receptor like ETR1, it keeps ETR1 in the active conformation. This leads to continuing activation of CTR1 even when the remainingreceptors are inhibited by ethylene. (b) When 1-MCP binds to EIN4, EIN4 is locked in the active state. This keeps ETR1 and ERS1 activated in thepresence of ethylene. (From Binder and Bleecker, 2003).

Figure 3. Model of mechanism of action of 1-MCP.

the ethylene response pathway by per-manently binding to a sufficient numberof ethylene receptors (ETR1, ETR2, EIN4,ERS1 and/or ERS2) which keeps CTR1 inits active (inhibiting) state (Fig. 3 a,b).How 1-MCP binds to the ethylene recep-tors and why it can bind to such sites butnot deactivate them as ethylene does, isnot known. Binder and Bleecker (2003)suggest that 1-MCP binds to the coppercofactor of the ethylene receptor, butperhaps due to steric hindrance, the bind-ing is insufficient to convert the receptorsto the inactive (off) state.Studies on the mode of action of 1-MCPare potentially useful in two ways. First, itadvances our general understanding ofhow ethylene controls cellular biochem-istry. Second, as Binder and Bleecker(2003) state, research on the above-men-tioned ethylene receptors may identifyisoforms with higher or lower affinity for1-MCP, leading to the genetic engineer-ing of plants with desirable inhibition ofethylene responses by 1-MCP.

COMMERCIALIZATIONOF 1-MCP

The U.S. patent (Sisler and Blankenship,1996) was licensed to Floralife Inc., a flo-ral preservative company. Floralife thenformed a company called BioTechnologiesfor Horticulture Inc., which named theproduct Ethylbloc and, after receivingU.S. EPA approval, sold it commercially inthe U.S. to extend flower life in ornamen-tal crops. In 1999, Floralife sold the rightsto AgroFresh Inc., a subsidiary of Rohmand Haas. AgroFresh Inc. continues to sell

EthylBloc for ornamental, non-food cropsand has begun commercializing 1-MCPfor postharvest use in fruit and vegetablecrops under the trade name SmartFresh.In order to be used commercially, 1-MCPis complexed with α-cyclodextrin to pro-duce a stable water-soluble powder (Dalyand Kourelis, 2000). The method of appli-cation is to generate 1-MCP as a gas bymixing the soluble powder in water andthen dispersing it around the product.1-MCP regulation is continuously chang-ing and the labeled rates for specific cropsare not yet well-defined (Harlow Warner,AgroFresh Inc.). The application rates rec-ommended so far are in the range of 0.2to 1.0 ppm. By the end of 2002, it hadbeen approved for postharvest applica-tion in the USA, New Zealand, Argentina,Chile, Mexico, South Africa andColombia. The only restriction for its useis to not have any system for ethylenedestruction, e.g., ozone generator, scrub-bers, filters, working in the room duringthe 1-MCP application (Walter Pereira,AgroFresh Inc.).The commercial adoption of 1-MCP willnot only depend on governmentapproval, but also on its cost to the user.Individual commodities respond different-ly, some unevenly or not at all. As a gas,application requirements may not be metin some horticultural production and han-dling systems since 1-MCP must beapplied before ethylene has bound to thereceptors. Some horticultural productshave to ripen or senesce before they areedible and in these cases 1-MCP may beundesirable. One of the side effects of 1-MCP application is the almost complete

suppression of volatile production, result-ing in loss of flavour and aroma. This mayreduce the market value of some 1-MCP-treated products which are expected tohave a characteristic flavour or aroma. Asit is chemically synthesized, the use of 1-MCP in the rapidly expanding ‘organic’food sector will likely not be approved,even though research to date shows notoxicological effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The discovery of the ethylene inhibitingproperties of 1-MCP is a major scientificand horticultural event. Scientifically, it isa “magic bullet” which is resolving manydebates on the role of ethylene in a widearray of plant responses. Horticulturally,its “magic bullet” status will depend onthe commodity, market forces and gov-ernment regulation. It is certainly a newhorticultural tool that can reduce the lossof plant products after harvest, reducingwaste and allowing producers and mar-keters to improve the return on theirinvestment. One must also note thatresearch remains to be done on 1-MCPeffects on non-postharvest processessince there are numerous ethylene-medi-ated plant processes that occur duringplant germination, growth and develop-ment which may be amenable to 1-MCPapplication.To obtain more scientific and horticulturalinformation on 1-MCP, the website -http://www.hort.cornell.edu/depart-ment/faculty/watkins/ethylene/ - con-tains a summary of published refereedscientific articles on physiological process-es or disorders in fruits, vegetables and

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ISHS • 14

REFERENCES

Binder, B.M. and Bleecker, A.B. 2003. Amodel for ethylene receptor function and 1-methylcyclopropene action. Acta Hort. (Inpress).Blankenship, S.M. 2003. Discovery and com-mercialization of 1-methylcyclopropene asan ethylene inhibitor. Acta Hort. (In press).Daly, J. and Kourelis, B. 2000. Synthesismethods, complexes and delivery methodsfor the safe and convenient storage, trans-port and application of compounds forinhibiting the ethylene response in plants.U.S. Patent No. 6,017,849. January 25,2000.Mitcham, B. (ed.). 2001. Special Issue: 1-MCP, the Next Revolution in PostharvestTechnology? Perishables Handling Quarterly,Issue No. 108, November, 2001. PostharvestTechnology Research Information Center,Department of Pomology, Univ. Calif., Davis,CA. (http://rics.ucdavis.edu/postharvest2/Pubs/Phn108.shtml).Sisler, E.C. and Blankenship, S.M. 1993a.Diazocyclopentadiene (DACP), a light sensi-tive reagent for the ethylene receptor inplants. Plant Growth Regulation 12:125-132.Sisler, E.C. and Blankenship, S.M. 1993b.Effect of diazocyclopentadiene on tomatoripening. Plant Growth Regulation 12:155-160.Sisler, E.C. and Blankenship, S.M. 1996.Methods of counteracting an ethyleneresponse in plants. U.S. Patent No.5,518,988. May 21, 1996.Sisler, E.C., Dupille, E., Serek, M and Goren,R. 2001. Compounds interacting with theethylene receptor. Acta Hort. 553:159-162.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Atlantic Food and Horticulture ResearchCentre Contribution No. 2261. The authorsthank Gordon Leslie and Conny Bishop fortheir graphics assistance.

Drs. Robert K. Prange and John M. DeLong are Research Scientists(Postharvest Physiology and Technology) with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, specializing in developing methods and technology toextend the postharvest life of fresh fruits and vegetables. They haveconducted postharvest research on growth regulators such as AVG(ReTain®) and 1-MCP as well as developing new postharvest tech-nologies such as chlorophyll fluorescence-based storage control sys-tems (HarvestWatch™). Both are members of the American Society forHorticultural Science (ASHS). Dr. Prange is also a member of theCanadian Society for Horticultural Science (CSHS) and the InternationalSociety for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and is the voting representativefor Canada on the ISHS Council. He has been the Vice-chairman of theISHS Postharvest Commission and was a co-convener of thePostharvest Symposium at the 2002 International HorticulturalCongress in Toronto.Contact: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Atlantic Food andHorticulture Research Centre, 32 Main St., Kentville, NS B4N 1J5,Canada, PrangeR@agr.gc.ca or DeLongJ@agr.gc.ca.

Robert Prange

John DeLong

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ornamental products that are delayed ordecreased, increased, or unaffected byapplication of 1-MCP. Another source ofinformation is a special issue of Post-harvest Handling Quarterly (Mitcham,2001) which contains a series of articlessummarizing the research on 1-MCP upto the end of 2001. The two in press arti-cles are part of the Acta Horticulturaefrom the Postharvest Symposium at theInternational Horticultural Congress whichwill be published shortly by the ISHS.

I HAVE A DREAM

Writing about the future of ISHS is a dif-ficult if not impossible task. One risksbeing considered either a fool or unimag-inative. The truth is I cannot predict whatis going to happen in the Society in theyears to come. The world is full of predic-tions about the various sectors of theeconomy and there are plenty advise forcitizens on infallible methods to becomebillionaires. But we sadly also know the

ISHS: A Look into the Futureby António A. Monteiro

result of some of these predictions. Thereis little need for horticultural “seers” inthe ISHS and I do not want to take thisapproach. I will discuss, however, someimportant changes that are taking place inISHS, their possible consequences for thefuture of the Society, and how I would liketo see ISHS adapting to the changesoccurring in horticulture science.Fernando Pessoa, the Portuguese poet,wrote “Deus quer, o homem sonha, aobra nasce ...” (God wants, Man dreams,

the work is started ... ). Let’s dream aboutthe future of the ISHS and if Deus quizerthe dream may come through.I see an ISHS attracting increasing num-ber of members from all over the world,organising successful meetings on thecutting edge of horticulture science, inter-acting with the horticulture industry tosubstantiate research objectives, editingprestigious publications and deliveringthem to its members using the most effi-cient communication technology, and

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 15

granting the individual members access toall levels of decision-making inside thesociety. You may say I am a dreamer but Ihope I am not the only one. We needISHS members to believe in a better futurefor the Society despite agriculture and itsrelated activities being challenged all overthe world in the most diverse ways.Horticulture is not an exception becausethere are no exceptions in our “global vil-lage.” Everything is changing very fastand threats are at every street corner.However among all these difficulties theworld has never displayed so manyopportunities for success. Successful out-comes also exist in horticulture. We justhave to search carefully and to grab theopportunities.

ISHS MEMBERSHIP

Plant breeders know that diversity is thebase for selection, even in the era ofgenetic engineering. Enlarging the base ofrecruitment of new members and attract-ing people with different horticulturebackgrounds will create the potential forevolution inside ISHS. If we provide agood environment for the best horticul-turists to actively participate in ISHS, newinitiatives will come and the Society willbe in pace with the continuous changeoccurring in horticulture science andindustry.Presently I see too much control from thetop to the bottom in the Society. We donot create enough opportunities formembers to volunteer and to serve.Words such as selection, invitation, andapproval are used too often.Horticulturally speaking, I would say thatthere is an excess of training and pruningand a lack of irrigation and fertilisation. Ashorticulturists we know that trees have togrow freely to rapidly reach equilibriumbetween vigour and fruiting. Heavypruning and edging are adequate for his-toric gardens with topiary figures. I prefera garden planted with many new treesgrowing freely. This garden may look a bitwild but it will develop its full potential. Inmy ideal garden the best plants can beselected at a later stage when they arealready exhibiting new colours, new aro-mas, beautiful flowers and tasty fruits andvegetables.Some changes in the Society go towardsincreasing membership number and creat-ing more opportunities for individualmembers to participate in the life of ISHS.Membership number increased from 2000members in 1996 to over 4000 membersby the end of 2002. This was an extraor-dinary change in the Society: a doublingof membership in 6 years! It is a challenge

to accommodate all these new people, togive them the possibility to serve in theSociety, to create the conditions for thenew members to feel at home, and tohave ISHS serve their scientific interests.Membership in sections and commissionshas become accessible to the individualISHS members without restrictions. Theelection process of the section and com-mission chairs is fair and gives everymember the possibility to vote and to benominated. This is good news that willsoon change the profile of the sectionsand commissions and give membersmuch more opportunities to serve.I am confident on our capacity to improvethe Society, to organise new initiatives,and to anticipate the changes in horticul-ture science. If we have many peopleinvolved in the activities of the Societynew ideas will come and ISHS will evolvegradually and gracefully. Collective deci-sions may sometimes be, surprisingly,against what each of us considers themost appropriate path, but they arealways the best option. I believe in abright future for a scientific society whichis capable of taking collective decisionsinvolving the participation of the majorityof its members.

COMMUNICATION

Information management in horticulturescience is our main activity. The Societystructure, budget and activity are aimedto circulate information among our mem-bers and within horticulture science atlarge, mainly by organising symposia andediting publications. ISHS symposia arevery successful because they answer twobasic needs of contemporary scientists:specialisation and novelty. The themes ofISHS symposia have drastically changedfrom only a few years ago. Our openstructure of sections and commissions isprepared to assure that symposia willcontinue to evolve adapting to the needsof different groups of scientists and horti-culturists all over the world. The chairper-sons of sections and commissions mustsieve the new proposals to secure thispermanent and dynamic flow that guar-antees good meetings for ISHS, andservice to our members and to horticul-ture science.What are going to be the themes of ISHSmeetings 10 years from now? I do notwant to guess because I may be com-pletely wrong. But I am sure we will haveexcellent meetings, perhaps better thanthose we are organising nowadays,because we will continue to have the besthorticulture scientists involved in theirpreparation.

Symposia are the matrix of the communi-cation network where ISHS publicationsare the visible output. Acta Horticulturaehas been quite successful for the samereasons. Acta quality has improved a lotduring recent years and it will continue toimprove. Chronica Horticulturae is forinternal communication within the Societyand for providing general informationabout horticulture and horticultural sci-ence. Recently it has also shown aremarkable transformation.ISHS deals with information management,which is a strategic industry with a fastgrowing but very competitive market.Information providers are very activebecause the sector is changing rapidly.There is a boom in companies dealingwith information on the Web as well asTV, radio, magazines, and videos. But atthe same time some newspapers are drop-ping the sales, publishers merging, scien-tific books increasing in price, and sellingless. Yet, publishing is becoming a hotbusiness, very competitive, with informa-tion technologies rapidly changing. Howlong will we continue to use the printedword as our main vehicle for deliveringinformation? What will be the importanceof electronic information within a fewyears? Is the Web going to replace ourjournals and books? These are importantquestions to be answered but they relateto information technology or support. Asan information provider, the Society’s firstpriority should be to produce top qualityinformation. If we have the best scientificmeetings and the best journal articles itwill be relatively easy to publish and tomarket this up-to-date horticulture infor-mation using the most adequate support.

ADAPTING TO THEEVOLUTION OF INDUSTRYAND SCIENCE

It is well known that the horticultureindustry is moving south. The global mar-ket has increased the share of importedfruits, vegetables and flowers from newproducing countries into Europe, USA andJapan. The economic development inmany countries, accompanied by eco-nomic development, has created a newmarket for horticulture products in coun-tries where food for survival, until recent-ly, was the only priority. New cultivars andtechnologies allow major horticulturecrops to be produced in warm climates.We see horticulture industry developing inthe temperate south hemisphere and inthe tropics and sub-tropics. For instance,who would have predicted Ecuador tohave the world largest surface of roses forcut-flower production?

ISHS • 16

Is the ISHS prepared to displace its centreof gravity towards countries with emerg-ing horticulture? If we are not there whenthey need us to cooperate in the develop-ment of horticulture science these poten-tial members will look elsewhere. Being atruly international organisation requiresus to flow to those areas where horticul-ture science is more active and where thenumber of horticulture R&D projects andstaff number is growing.The changes in horticulture science arealso related to the subject matters thatattract young scientists. Molecular biolo-gy and genetic engineering have replacedmore classic disciplines such as plantphysiology or botany as the leading edgein horticulture. New policies for publicresearch in many countries have led tomore basic science and to less emphasison applied research, such has horticulture.Many other changes will occur and theywill happen faster than in the past. This isnot the time to discuss whether horticul-ture science is moving towards a modelthat favours our own interest. I wouldrather adapt to the reality and behaveaccordingly by creating inside the ISHSnew opportunities for young scientistsand by assuring that our congresses,symposia and publications provide arewarding feedback for those looking formodern horticulture science.

BEING PART OF THE“VILLAGE”

ISHS members with high responsibilitiesin our Society have written about theneed for the ISHS to cooperate withnational societies for horticultural science,horticulture industry organisations, inter-national R&D institutions, and interna-tional scientific societies. Why is this co-operation so important?Horticulture requires integration betweenscience and technology and includes a

high number of crops and disciplines. It isdifficult to precisely define horticulture, orto package it and keep it on the shelf.Rather, horticulture is a dynamic conceptwith soft borders with many scientific dis-ciplines, subject matters, professions andbusiness activities. There is quite a lot ofoverlapping between our and our neigh-bour’s activity, which is an excellentopportunity for cooperation and perma-nent relationship for mutual benefits. Oursurvival will depend on our capacity todevelop new fields of expertise and toenlarge our scope inside agrobusiness.We must exploit this tension. The day weare reduced to a minimal concept of hor-ticulture we are dead.Sometime ago I wrote the following:“Science, even good science is importantbut it is not enough for the ISHS toprogress. We must be aware that ourSociety will fail if it is not able to makeits knowledge useful for people by estab-lishing and securing solid bridges withthe horticulture industry.” We must becapable of cooperating with industry,with other scientific societies, with R&Dinstitutions. We must avoid the “ghettoi-sation” of horticulture scientists.I may be completely wrong about thefuture of the ISHS. However, I am con-vinced that the future will be bright forthose who make the right choices in thepresent. What counts is the ability of aninstitution to create the internal mecha-nisms of renovation that assure havingthe best people making decisions at theright time. We are all actively preparingthe future of ISHS. The fruit of the treethat is being planted today will take a fewyears to ripen. At that time we will beable to evaluate the performance of thescion and the rootstock. Opening theSociety towards the outside, increasingand renovating the membership, watch-ing for new scientific trends and moderninformation technology, will surely bear

António A. Montei-ro obtained the PhDon HorticulturalSciences in 1983and is presently FullProfessor at Insti-tuto Superior deAgronomia, Techni-cal University ofLisbon, Portugal.His present profes-sional activity in-

cludes teaching physiology and productionof vegetable crops at the TechnicalUniversity of Lisbon, research on veg-etable breeding and growing techniquesand an active involvement in the horticul-ture industry. He was the chairman of theISHS Working Group on ProtectedCultivation in Mild winter Climates (1986-94), Council member (1990-98) as well asBoard member as Secretary (1994-98) andas responsible of Publications (1998-2002). At the moment he is a member ofthe Publication Committee.Contact: Inst. Superior de Agronomia,Tapada da Ajuda, 1399 Lisboa Codex,Portugal. Phone: (+351)213602051,fax: (+351)213635031,email: amonteiro@isa.utl.pt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

good fruit in the very near future. Whensome years from now I revisit this streamof consciouness about the future of theISHS, I will rejoice if my conservativeviews about horticulture science havebeen superseded by the contribution ofyoung people with bold new ideas. Withthese new ideas ISHS maintain its leader-ship in horticultural science.

AntónioMonteiro

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 17

HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE NEWSHORTICULTURAL SCIENCE NEWS

New memberInternational Center for BiosalineAgriculture joins ISHS

by Faisal Taha

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is solidifying its linksto the international science community through Organizational Membershipin ISHS. ICBA has important programs involving horticultural crops, featuringwork on date palm and a wide range of ornamental species with demonstrat-ed tolerance to brackish or saline irrigation water. Opportunities exist forcooperation and collaboration with the horticultural science research commu-nity worldwide.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS ANDOTHER ACTIVITIES

- Plant Genetic Resources Program -introduces, collects, characterizes, eval-uates, stores and distributes salt-toler-ant plants

- Halophytic Crop Production andManagement Program - develops irriga-tion and land management systems thatuse saline water for crop production andevaluates field, forage, and horticulturalcrop production under irrigation withwater ranging from moderately to high-ly saline

- Communication, Information andNetworking

- Training, Workshops and Extension

MISSION AND MANDATE

The International Center for BiosalineAgriculture, founded in 1999, is anapplied agricultural research center. Itsmission is to develop and promote the useof sustainable agricultural systems thatuse saline water to grow crops. ICBA’s ini-tial focus has been on forage productionsystems, date palm, and landscapingplants for countries of the GulfCooperation Council (GCC) and otherparts of the Islamic world. The technolo-gies developed, however, will be of valuewherever producers face problems ofsaline soils or salty ground water.

ICBA is an initiative of the IslamicDevelopment Bank and the Bank is itsprincipal donor. ICBA has also receivedfinancial support from the Arab Fund forEconomic and Social Development andthe OPEC Fund. Its host government, theGovernment of the United Arab Emirates,through the Municipality of Dubai, hasgenerously provided a 100-hectareresearch station and developed the areato meet research needs.

HORTICULTURE RESEARCHAT ICBA

Developing propagation and manage-ment practices for landscape and orna-mental halophytes- Selecting ornamental and landscape

halophytes for propagation- Developing propagation protocols to

produce viable propagules- Documenting information on selected

plants, their propagation methods anduses

- Evaluating and documenting date palmgenetic resources for salinity tolerance

Many halophytes can be used as orna-mentals and landscape plants and areespecially valuable in areas where freshwater is not available for irrigation. Theyinclude trees, shrubs, succulents andsemi-succulents, biennial and perennialground cover plants and lawn grasses.They can tolerate irrigation water with ECof 15 to almost 20 dS/m. Plants such asConocarpus erectus, Eucalyptus sargentiiand Melaleuca halmaturorum, and theshrubs Mairreana sedifolia, Borricheafrutescens and Clerodendrum inerme arealready being used for landscaping.Evaluating and documenting date palmgenetic resources for salinity tolerance- Building a database on available date

palm cultivars and their horticulturalcharacteristics and distribution

- Evaluating the 10-15 best date palmcultivars for salt tolerance

The date palm has been cultivated sinceat least 4000 BC. Every part of the treehas its uses. The wood and leaves provide

Spray irrigation of Sporobolus virginicus, a non-conventional forage grass, at the head-quarters of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Al Ruwayyah, Dubai,United Arab Emirates (photo by ICBA)

Professor FaisalTaha joined ICBA in2000 as the Directorof Technical Pro-grams. He holds aPh.D. from the Uni-versity of Wyomingand has over 25years of professionalexperience in re-search and develop-ment in the USA,

Canada, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates.Professor Taha is an accomplishedResearcher and Scientist with over 100publications in refereed journals, proceed-ings, technical reports and scientific books.He has also served as consultant to manyregional and international organizationsworking in agriculture and naturalresources.Contact: International Center for BiosalineAgriculture, PO Box 14660, Dubai, UnitedArab Emirates. Phone: (+971)4336110,fax: (+971)43361155, email: f.taha@bios-aline.org.ae, www.biosaline.org.

ISHS • 18

timber and fabric for houses and fences.The leaves are used for making ropes,cord, baskets, crates and furniture. Basesof the leaves and the fruit stalks are usedas fuel. The fruit yields a range of foodproducts. Even the tree’s terminal buds

The Lulu variety of date palm (Phoenixdactylifera L.), one of 10 elite UAEdate palm varieties planted in 2001 in along-term replicated five-six year fieldexperiment, to investigate salt toleranceat three salinity levels (5, 10 and 15dS/m) (photo by ICBA)

(heart of palm) make tasty additions tovegetable salads. The date palm is oftenthe only available staple food for theinhabitants of desert and arid lands, andas such it is vital to millions throughoutNorth Africa and the Middle East. Thereare 90 million date palms in the world, 64million of them in Arab countries, produc-ing 2 million tonnes of dates each year(FAO). Date-producing Arab countries areAlgeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Libya,Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates,and Yemen. The date palm can toleratesalinity levels of up to 22,000 pnter of ori-gin and center of diversity of the datepalm. Farmers cultivate a large number ofold varieties and many new ones all overthe region. These differ tremendously inquality as well as in other horticulturaltraits, including tolerance to salinity.Although the date palm has been exten-sively studied in many countries, theinformation gathered is not well docu-mented, nor is it easily accessible.ICBA is evaluating the effects of salinityon date palm growth and productivity,genetic variations for salt tolerance, and isdeveloping appropriate production andmanagement packages that can sustaindate palm agro-ecosystems in the region.Projects include a long-term field evalua-tion of salinity tolerance and the effects ofsalinity on 10 elite date palm varietiesimportant in the Gulf region. Homo-genous elite date palm varieties are alsobeing screened for salt tolerance at earlystages of development, using varietiesdeveloped by the Date Palm TissueCulture Laboratory. The impact of increas-

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Faisal Taha

ing salinity levels and prevailing culturalpractices on date palm production inselected farmers’ fields throughout theUnited Arab Emirates is being assessed. Inaddition, a field gene bank of date palmvarieties is being established and an eval-uation of the quality of dates in six GulfCooperation Council countries is under-way.

In March 2003 Wageningen Universitywill celebrate its 85th anniversary as aninstitution for agricultural research andeducation at an academic level. In partic-ular during the last decade the Universityhas extended its scope from mainly agri-culture to life sciences and social sciencesin relation to agriculture and the environ-ment in their broadest sense. After majorreorganisations in recent years and thevirtual merger between the University andthe Agricultural Research OrganisationDLO (formerly part of the ministry ofAgriculture, Nature Management andFisheries) Wageningen University and

FrontisFrontis: New Initiative of WageningenUniversity and Research Centre

Research Centre (Wageningen UR) nowcomprises five departments (PlantSciences, Animal Sciences, EnvironmentalSciences, Social Sciences and Agro-technology & Food Sciences), each con-sisting of a part of the University and oneor more DLO institutes.While reorganising Wageningen UR theBoard deemed it necessary to ensure thatthe new organisation will be able to occu-py international frontline positions infields of scientific and societal importance.Unique, high-level academic expertise,together with the ability to transfer thisknowledge to other people, constitutes

the basis for attracting research contractsand students from all over the world. Toobtain and maintain influential positionsin the scientific world and to give directionto the international scientific debateWageningen UR, it was felt, must offer toexcellent scientists the possibility to workon the frontiers of science, in close con-tacts with their colleagues and withoutbeing distracted by issues not relevant totheir scientific work.With the above in mind the Board decid-ed in the spring of 2001 to found (andfund!) Frontis - Wageningen InternationalNucleus for Strategic Expertise: an inter-

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 19

national concentration point aimed atgiving an impulse to scientific progress bybringing together leading scientists in thefields of agricultural, environmental andrelated sciences in an atmosphere of opendiscussion and interaction with colleaguesfrom all over the world. Dr. Robert J.Bogers, formerly director of the BulbResearch Centre at Lisse, the ResearchStations for Floriculture and GlasshouseVegetables (Aalsmeer and Naaldwijk) andthe Netherlands Institute for QualityControl of Agricultural Products (RIKILT),was appointed director of Frontis.Frontis (Greek for careful, interestedthought) wants to invite eminent foreigncolleagues to come to Wageningen toexplore the frontiers of science, to helpdiscover new areas of knowledge or toprovide Wageningen UR with well-defined products. They may present theirideas, (co-)organise or participate inworkshops, teach in master classes orwork in one of the Wageningen URdepartments for shorter or longer periods.Thus far, three-day workshops wereorganized on the Economics of FoodSafety (including risk analysis), theEuropean Landscape, the Ecology ofTransgenic Malaria Mosquitoes, andChain Molecules at Interfaces. A series ofFrontis lectures by Dr Geerat Vermeij (UCDavis) about Evolution and Economicsmade a great impression on both studentsand staff. Professor Laurian Unnevehr, aneconomist from the University of Illinois

spent some months in Wageningenworking in the University’s FarmManagement Group.The reactions received from participantsin the Frontis activities made it clear thatthis initiative of Wageningen UR is highlyappreciated by both the visiting scientistsand their Wageningen UR colleagues. Inparticular the possibility to concentratecompletely on “hot topics” in science anddiscuss them in depth with high-level col-leagues in a limited period of time wasjudged to be very stimulating.For the coming year workshops havebeen planned on Agriculture in SalineEnvironments, Bayesian Statistics andQuality Modelling in the Agro-FoodProduction Chain, Professional Ethics, theEnvironmental Costs and Benefits ofTransgenic Crops in Europe, and LargeHerbivore Dynamics in FragmentedLandscapes. Master classes will focus onBio-informatics and on Tools in RiskAnalysis, with the emphasis on BayesianStatistics, while visiting professors willteach and do research on Bio-nanotech-nology and on Marine Biotechnology.The Proceedings of most Frontis work-shops, including the discussions, will bepublished in the new Wageningen Frontisseries by Kluwer Academic Publishers,whereas the authors will retain all rightsto use their contributions for other, non-commercial purposes (including teachingand use on their own web sites). As soonas the Proceedings of a particular Frontis

Rob Bogers

CONTACT

Frontis, P.O. Box 88, 6700 AB Wage-ningen, The Netherlands. Phone:(+31)317495421, fax: (+31)317495430,www.wageningen-ur.nl/frontis, where alsothe Frontis Newsletter can be found, email:r.j.bogers@co.wag-ur.nl

workshop are available for publication,the Library of Wageningen UR will makethem available on its web site, where theycan be viewed free of charge.In deciding about proposals for Frontisactivities the selection criteria applied thusfar have included: the expected presenceor attendance of excellent scientists fromoutside Wageningen UR; the relationwith the mission of Wageningen UR; thecatalytic effect on new developmentsleading to new insight and/or perspec-tive; the relation with perceived scientificand/or societal problems; and the inter-disciplinary character of the proposal.New proposals and suggestions for futureFrontis activities that meet a sufficientpart of these criteria will always be wel-come.

Sustainability in the 21st CenturyFirst Symposium on Sustainability inHorticulture: a success

During the International HorticulturalCongress (IHC) in Toronto, August 12 -16, 2002, researchers of many differentdisciplines met to discuss the problems ofsustainability in horticulture. Fears that

21st century” was put forward. The dec-laration shall provide some guidance tofurther activities to support a sustainablehorticulture in applied research. Horticul-ture should take the lead in the sustain-ability discussion in agricultural sciencefor the sake of the well-being of humansocieties.

CONCLUSIONS FROM THESYMPOSIUM

Sustainability is an emerging concept forall types of human endeavor, includingfood production, and refers to a dynamicbalance of three aspects: ecology, eco-

there would be little interest for such across-commodity and cross-disciplinarysubject proved fully unjustified.Economists, physiologist, agronomists,extension officers, directors, project lead-ers and many other disciplines, all con-tributed to the discussions with their talksand interventions.During the last session of the symposiumJames Anderson presented a summaryand the conclusion from the meeting,prepared by the international scientificcommittee of this symposium. Based onthese conclusions “The Toronto 2002sustainability declaration on researchneeds for a continuous development ofsustainable horticultural systems for the

ISHS • 20

nomics, and social values (sometimestermed equity; Figure 1).

Much has been written about sustainabil-ity over the past two decades. At theglobal scale, the Brundtland Report enti-tled ‘our common future’ from 1987 hasbeen widely accepted as a milestone inconceptualizing what sustainabilitymeans. The concept has been furtherrefined, e.g. into the people-planet-profitconcept, which has been discussed at thesymposium.The research contribution to sustainabil-ity. Considerable progress has been madethrough research and education inaddressing aspects of sustainable fruit,vegetable, and floriculture productionsystems, including integrated pest man-agement, cover cropping, and soil healthimprovement. However, it was realizedthat it is still difficult to assess proposedand completed horticultural researchactivities in terms of their contribution tosustainability.Lessons from organic and integrated sys-tems. In contrast to the global goal of asustainable development, organic farminghas evolved as a specifically defined pro-duction regime intended to increase sus-tainability including radical rules that arenot compatible with integrated produc-tion but which refer to sustainability com-ponents (e.g. the build-up of natural cap-ital by exclusion of synthetic not nature-identical inputs). It remains to be proven,how successful this production conceptwill be in increasing sustainability.However, organic farming, and in horti-culture especially for tree fruits, hasexpanded dramatically in the past decade.Its development is increasingly supportedby sound science-based studies. Climaticconditions greatly affect the challengesand success of organic tree fruit produc-tion, with semi-arid regions having a dis-tinct advantage over more humid regions.A solid body of knowledge exists regard-ing the techniques of organic tree fruit

production and its extent and distributionaround the world.Lessons learned from organic systems canbe applied beneficially to other systems,and organic systems have benefited andcontinue to benefit from research on inte-grated and conventional systems.In order to better engage with the trendsof sustainability and organic farming, anISHS working group on organic fruit pro-duction was proposed and recommendedduring the symposium. There is also con-

siderable interest in developing a cross-commodity group which could focus onsustainability at a research methodologicallevel, but no clear action has been takenin this respect yet. However, the fruit pro-duction group and others within ISHS maypropose an ISHS commission on sustain-able horticulture in the near future.Systems approach needed. To move for-ward sustainable horticulture, more of asystems approach to research and imple-mentation will be needed. Much of the

Figure 1: The tripartite concept ofsustainability, based on theBrundtland report of 1987,describing a dynamic balance

Figure 3: An example from system component research addressing the compo-nent of pest management: Illustration of a shift to a total system approach topest management through a greater use of inherent strength based on a goodunderstanding of interactions within an ecosystem while using therapeutics asbackups. The upside-down pyramid to the left reflects the unstable conditionsunder heavy reliance on pesticides, and the upright pyramid to the rightreflects sustainable qualities of a total system strategy (Lewis et al., 1997)

Ecology Economy

Balance

Norms and values from societyand technology (equity)

➩

➩

➩

➩

➩

Accumulation of:Natural capitalHuman capitalSocial capital

Food and otherconsumed or

marketedproduce

Depletion of:Natural capitalHuman capitalSocial capital

Positivefunctions

Negativefunctions

Farm,Livelihood orCommunity

Systems

Contextualfactors:

agro-ecologicalclimatic

economiclegal

politicalsocial

Shaped by:external

institutionsand policies

Renewable naturalcapital

Social, capital:trust, norms,institutions

Human capital:skills and

knowledge

Physical capital:Technologies andnon-renewables

Finance:income, credit,

grants

Figure 2: Assets-based model of agricultural systems (Pretty 1999)

Therapeuticsas backups

Strongknowledge

andemphasis

on ecosystemstrenghts

TOTALSYSTEM

MANAGEMENT

PESTICIDETREADMILL

Heavyreliance

onpesticides

Littleemphasis

on theecosystem

Therapeutics Biopesticides&

Biological agents

Broad-spectrumchemicalpesticides

Shift to discrete use of soft interventions

Ecosystem

Shift from reductionist approach to emphasis on understandingmultritrophic interactions and use of inherent strenghts

(inclusing appropriate additions of new traits or organisms)

Carnivores

Food Foragingcues

Shelter

HerbivoresCrops Associated

plantsSoils

Associatedplants

Carnivores

Herbivores

Crops

Soils Saprophytes

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 21

development of organic and integratedproduction has relied on an input substitu-tion approach rather than an ecologicalsystems approach. Likewise, the integra-tion of social factors will be important inshaping future research. The asset-basedmodel of agricultural systems proposed byPretty (Figure 2) may provide guidancefor this by illustrating the various waysthat system capital can be built up for hor-ticultural systems.System component research. Pretty’smodel describes the interactions betweenthe different types of capital on which aproduction system is built. Little scientificwork has been done in this respect in hor-ticulture so far. However, considerableprogress has been made in conceptualiz-ing and studying major system compo-nents.For example, Lewis et al. (Figure 3) havediagrammed how a systems approach canbe applied to pest management to reduceinputs and negative impacts whileimproving renewable natural capital usingsuch techniques as biological control andcover crops.Facts on hot issues - lacking knowledge.Continuing research on cover crop-toma-to systems point to the ability of a vetchcover crop to induce expression of anti-senescence and pest resistant genes in thetomato.The role of Precision Farming in increasingsustainability in horticultural systems hasnot been widely explored. Furtherresearch is needed to better know thepotential of this tool for increasing sus-tainability in horticulture.Understanding systems boundaries andthe different scales of systems will beincreasingly important. Working to solve adisease problem on a specific crop mustnot lead to creation of another problemoutside the farm scale (e.g. use of methylbromide for disease control that also con-tributes to ozone depletion at the globallevel). The potential impact of global cli-mate change on horticultural systemsmust be recognized as well as the poten-tial impact of horticultural systems onglobal ecosystem properties. Movingbetween these scales and across bound-aries remains a challenge.Social and contextual factors. Sustain-ability in horticulture will also depend onthe actions of individuals, be they grow-ers, consumers, or researchers. Our cur-rent food system has been developed overdecades with behavioral change at thelevel of the individual. A redirectiontowards sustainability will require thesame process. The potential impact oflocal markets and reconnecting with con-

REFERENCES

Pretty, J. 1999. Can sustainable agriculturefeed Africa? New evidence on progress,processes and impacts. Environment,Development and Sustainability 1:253-274Lewis, W.J., van Lenteren, J.C., Phatak,S.C., and Tumlinson, J.H. A total systemapproach to sustainable pest management.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 94:12243-12248

CONTACT

Dr. Lukas Bertschinger, Swiss FederalResearch Station, Wädenswil, Switserland,lukas.bertschinger@faw.admin.ch

The “Toronto 2002 declaration” has beendeveloped by the International ScientificCommittee (ISC) and was declared after dis-cussion during the concluding session of thesymposium. In the ISC participated: Dr. JamesAnderson, convener (USDA-ARS Beltsville,New York, USA), Dr. Lukas Bertschinger, con-vener (FAW, Wädenswil, Switzerland), Dr. Nicode Groot (LEI, The Hague, The Netherlands),Dr. David Granatstein (Washington StateUniversity, Wenatchee, USA), Dr. Robert Habib(INRA-Avignon, France), Dr. Kent Mullinix(Washington State University, Wenatchee,USA), Dr. Denise Neilsen (AgriFood Canada,Summerland Station, Canada), Dr. FernandoPomares (IVIA, Valencia, Spain), Dr. Franco P.Weibel (FiBL, Frick, Switzerland) and Dr. GladisZinati (Rutgers University, New Brunswick,USA).

The Toronto 2002 sustainability declaration

Research needs for a sustainable horticultural development in the 21st century

Horticultural research needs to embody more interdisciplinary and holistic approaches inaddition to the traditional reductionist approaches to problem solving.

Horticultural research should involve new players from outside the traditional disciplinaryarea, including more international scope and inclusion of social and cultural expertise.

Research regarding sustainability should not end at the farm gate. A dynamic systemsapproach is needed for planning and conducting research that is more systems-oriented.

Practical methods are required to bring the concept of sustainability to bear on the horti-cultural research agenda and to connect with the farm level.

We need simple methods for assessing sustainability, both qualitative and quantitative.

The choice of research methods for a project needs to be carefully evaluated to maximizesustainability. On-farm, participatory, and transdisciplinary methods may be useful and caninvolve various stakeholders (e.g. farmer, consumer). Small farmers and extension workersshould not be overlooked and be included in this new research approach.

Research should address the natural, social, human and physical capital and finance(according to Pretty’s model). If addressing the renewable, natural capital in horticulturalsystems, research should contribute to its build-up. For this purpose, the following topicsdeserve specific attention:

- Continuous development of new technologies and knowledge for disease and pest man-agement that support sustainability.

- Holistic approach for following fixed nitrogen through the farm system and ecosystem(e.g. effect on ground water, NOx emissions).

- Development of new disease and pest resistant germplasm that also meets marketrequirements.

- Enhance soil quality and natural resource management in all horticultural systems (e.g.replant diseases, water quality).

sumers needs to be considered as a part ofthe future solution to current unsustain-able practices.Being aware of these contextual facts as anew set of parameters in our scientificactivity, successful development of sus-tainable systems may rely not on the

development of a single system but on adiversity of concepts, each with bound-aries as a necessary part of contextualhuman behaviour. The challenge will bein working across these boundaries toachieve equity and well-being.

Lukas Bertschinger

ISHS • 22

The popularity of herbal products hassoared in the last decade. In 2002Americans spent 4.2 billion USD on herbsand other botanicals remedies and the usein Europe, especially Germany, is muchhigher. Recently a backlash is brewing.Are these materials, safe, pure, and effec-tive? Are there side effects? Do they inter-act with other prescription drugs?Clearly plants contain thousands of ingre-dients with drug effects. Not long agonearly half of all prescription drugs werederived from plants or synthesized tomimic plant chemicals. The efficacy ofquinine from cinchona, and recently anti-carcinogenic substances from species oftaxus are well documented. Some of thenew botanicals seem to be effective

Herbal Remedies Under Scrutinyincluding St. John’s wort to relive milddepression, feverfew for migraineheadaches, ginger to counteract motionsickness and nausea in pregnancy, andsaw palmetto to reduce benign prostateenlargement. The use of echinacia toword or alleviate flue symptoms has hadmixed reviews. However, botanicals suchas ephedra, an herb used in weight-lossand bodybuilding supplements, is nowconsidered unsafe even when taken inrecommended doses. Ephedra accountedfor 64% of all adverse reactions involvingherbs in the United States, even though itis found in less than 1% of all herbalproducts sold. The US food and DrugAdministration has reports of nearly 100deaths of people who had taken the herb,

a stimulant that can quicken heart rateand cause constriction of blood vessels.One of the problems is that botanicals aresubject to lower safety standards thandrugs. As a result a number of scientistsand physicians are calling for new regula-tions of herbal remedies including govern-mental approval for safety before theycan be sold, establishment of good manu-facturing practices, the reporting ofadverse side effects, and labeling of allconstituents of product by their botanicaland common names and listing of possibleharmful infects including herb-drug inter-action. The establishment of expert panelsis recommended to review the safety ofdietary supplements. In the meantime,caveat emptor let the buyer beware.

Countries Seeking Waiver on MethylBromide Use

Methyl bromide is a toxic gas that hasbeen used since the 1960s to sterilizesoils, and for fumigation of agriculturaland horticultural products. It kills weeds,insects, nematodes and many other pestsallowing farmers and nursery owners toplant crops in fields that are a biologicallyclean. Methyl bromide is one of a varietyof chemicals that are being phased outunder the Montreal Protocols of 1987because they contribute to the break-down of the ozone layer in the atmos-phere that is important in blocking harm-ful ultraviolet rays. This protective shielddiminished significantly by the 1980s, and

still disappears almost entirely over largeareas of both poles in certain seasons.Volatiles that contribute to this ozone lossinclude certain refrigerants and propel-lants in aerosols; methyl bromideaccounts for no more that a 7% of thetotal erosion of the ozone layer.Under the Montreal Protocols, a 15-year-old pact perceived as the most effectiveenvironmental treaty ever negotiated,industrialized countries agreed to phaseout of methyl bromide use. Starting in1999, there was to be a 25% reductionbelow the amount used in 1991, a 50%drop from that level starting in 2002, a

70% reduction starting in 2003, and atotal ban starting in 2005. Developingcountries, however, were granted a 10-year delay before they must stop usingmethyl bromide. In the agreement therewas a waiver that allowed countries toappeal these reduction targets if no satis-factory substitutes could be found.Because no effective substitute have beenrealized for some important agriculturaland horticultural uses, a number of coun-tries including the US, Australia, and Spainare seeking waivers. In contrast, othercountries including Britain plan to strictlylimit their proposed exemptions.

Reviving plant breedingPlant breeders are under threat, so saysJonathan Knight in an article entitled “ADying Breed” in the February 6 2003issue of Nature. After sowing success indeveloping culltivars that propelled theGreen Revolution, plant breeders are los-ing public funding to researchers workingon molecular-genetic approaches.Knight observes that the world’s academ-ic plant breeding laboratories have suf-fered steady attrition. This is furtheraffected by the global economic situationthat has limited funds for research, and

changes in the intellectual property envi-ronment. Michael Gale, head of compar-ative genetics at the John Innes Centre inNorwich, UK, says, “Plant variety protec-tion was the death knell for public breed-ing programs.” Although meant to stimu-late innovation in corporate labs, IPRreforms, the article pointed out, alsomeant that public sector breeders were nolonger free to work with plants grownwith commercial seeds.A possible solution, says Knight, is boost-ing the power of conventional breeding

by merging it with genomic and othermolecular-genetic techniques. In addi-tion, there must be concerted effort “tobreak with the proprietary approach tointellectual property that is currentlyblighting the field.”Knight, however, seesalternative approaches already beingimplemented in research organizationslike the Center for the Application ofMolecular Biology to InternationalAgriculture, and the International Centerfor Tropical Agriculture. A DNA microar-ray has been developed to boost markerassisted selection. This technique enablesa researcher to look for the presence ofgenetic markers in plants in the absenceof any sequence information.

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 23

SYMPOSIA AND WORKSHOPSSYMPOSIA AND WORKSHOPS

SectionTropical and Subtropical Fruitsand Commission Plant Genetic ResourcesGenetic Resources of Temperate Zone

Fruits for Tropics and Subtropics(TZFTS)

Scientists and experts of temperate fruit crops grown on Tropics andSubtropics environments gathered at Valencia, Spain for an internationalmeeting on characterization of genetic resources of these species in tropicaland subtropical environments. The meeting was held at the “InstitutoValenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias” (IVIA) 6-7 June 2002, hosted by Dr.María L. Badenes from IVIA, under the auspices of the International Society forHorticultural Sciences (ISHS), the Spanish Society for Horticultural Sciences(SECH) with the support of the IVIA and the “Servicio Tecnológico Agrario”from “Consellería de Agricultura de La Generalitat Valenciana”.

The fruit descriptors developed by theInternational Board for Plant GeneticResources are an excellent set of descrip-tors but for some characteristics are lack-ing for the evaluation of temperate fruitgermplasm for warmer winter areas. Initial

The meeting was attended by 40 experts from Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, USAand Spain

drafts of focussed descriptors for thisgermplasm were developed to betterassess the adaptation and consequentlythe usefulness of the germplasm. Furtherwork needs to be done to select a fewstandard cultivars and environmental data

to be included to allow accurate interpre-tation of the collected characterizationdata. Much discussion centered on theprocedure of measuring chilling accumu-lation at a site. It is clear that in most mildwinter areas, models useful in cold winterregions do not work well. Other modelsdiscussed were the South African modeland the use of the mean temperatures ofthe coldest months as was developed inthe southeastern USA.The session on genetic resources had dis-cussions on both pome and stone fruit.Although the majority of apples requiresubstantial chilling, there is ongoing workto develop low chill apple genotypes inMexico, Brazil, and Israel. The work inMexico is rapidly progressing and A.Rumayor is characterizing a series of lowand medium chill apple selections. Thelocal peach and plum germplasm wasdescribed for the Canary Islands and forSpain. A series of low chill (50 chillinghours) peach cultivars that had fruitdevelopment periods from 75 to 120days were described along with the lowchill (200 CU), early ripening (FDP = 60),red fleshed plum named ‘Orotava’. Dr.Rodriguez presented his characterizationdata on the local populations of peachesin Spain, which appear to be distinct fromthe commercial non-melting varieties.Finally Dr. Byrne presented a pedigreeanalysis of the founding clones of theexisting low and medium chill fresh mar-ket peach germplasm developed in theUSA and Brazil (Sao Paulo and Pelotas)which revealed that these breeding pro-grams worked mostly independently withonly a few germplasm exchanges.Consequently, although all three pro-grams have used the germplasm devel-oped in the American breeding programs(‘Peento’, ‘Okinawa’, ‘Hawaiian’), thebreeding programs in Brazil also incorpo-rated local varieties such as ‘Rei da

ISHS • 24

David H. Byrne and Maria Luisa Badenes

Conserva’, ‘Perola de Itaque’, ‘Taichi’,‘Delicioso’, ‘Precoce Rosado’, ‘Admiravel’,‘Quince de Novembro’, and ‘Interludio’into their low chill germplasm. It appearsthat there is more diversity among the lowand medium chill peach germplasm thanin the high chill germplasm.

Work with peach and nectarine varietiespresented by Dr. Arús showed that it waspossible to differentiate between 95% ofthe over 200 cultivars examined with 16SSR (simple sequence repeat ormicrosatellite) markers or 47 AFLPs(amplified fragment length polymor-phisms). Among the peaches and nec-tarines examined, a set of 47 non meltingcultivars were distinct from the rest indi-cating a higher level of diversity than hasbeen previously documented in peachgermplasm.

The breeding of medium and low chillfruit crops has increased over the lastdecade with additional programs, bothprivate and public, being started orincreasing their activity. The programs inSouth Africa (peach, plum, and apricotwith excellent post harvest traits for ship-ment to the Northern Hemisphere),Turkey (peach and cherry), and Spain(peach, rootstocks, and apricot) were dis-cussed. These discussions were capped offwith a visit to experimental plots to seethe ongoing evaluation trials of stonefruit.

CONTACT

David H. Byrne, Department ofHorticultural Sciences, Texas A&MUniversity, College Station, TX 77843-2133, USA or Maria Luisa Badenes,Instituto Valenciano de InvestigacionesAgrarias, 4 Apartado Oficial, 46113Moncada (Valencia), Spain

Commission on Landscape and UrbanHorticulture

The First International Conference onUrban Horticulture

The International Conference on Urban Horticulture was held in Switzerland 2-6 September 2002. It was organised by the University of Applied SciencesWädenswil (UASW) under the auspices of International Society forHorticultural Science (ISHS), and was supported by a range of Swiss firms andinstitutions (including Migros Kulturprozent, Schweizer Garten, HauensteinAG, Zürcher Kantonalbank). It took place on the campus of the UASW, whichis located in the experimental and exhibition gardens of the HorticultureDepartment overlooking the Lake of Zurich.

As representative of ISHS, WalterMueller greeted the conference atten-dants. Rolf Grabherr, Rector of theUniversity of Applied Sciences Wädenswilopened the symposium by stressing theimportance of scientific research for therecently reorganized studies in SwissUniversities of Applies Sciences. The pro-gramme included over 80 presentationswhich contributed to the discussion of therelationship “People - Plants - Quality ofLife”. The working hypothesis, “the cre-ation of gardens and open spaces togeth-er with the way plants are used are reli-able indicators of a permanently changingunderstanding of nature” resulted in fivemain themes. These themes were organ-ised into five one-day-sessions: a) plantsand society, b) public green, c) plant use

and garden design, d) assortment devel-opment and evaluation, and e) ecologicalengineering. In the morning of each ses-sion invited speakers presented recentadvances in each field. These were fol-lowed by often lively discussions betweenparticipants. The afternoons were dedi-cated to workshops and poster exhibi-tions. The contributions covered a widerange of topics from the aesthetics ofplant combinations through the philo-sophic and psychological aspects of gar-dening to ecotechnologies.The session on assortment developmentand evaluation was chaired by GertFortgens (Trompenburg Arboretum,Rotterdam, NL ) who in his talk focusedon perennials and woody ornamentals.Beat Graf (Grüningen, CH) reported on

conflicts between assortment develop-ment and consumer needs. He stressedthe importance of large assortments forgarden planners, and regretted the loss ofvariety caused by recent trends in land-scape planning. Dan Heims (Terra NovaNurseries, Portland, US) selected plantvarieties that provide excellent traits andgarden-worthiness, yet have few culti-vars. As an example he described thepainstaking search and “reinvention” oftwo rarely cultivated genera -Heucheraand Pulmonaria, of which forsome time fewer than ten varieties wereavailable in the USA.General social developments such asglobalization, the crisis in ethical valuesand the increasing role of the media forthe perception of the world (versus “real”experience), raise the question of the roleof gardens and parks in the urban land-scape. The plants and society session wastherefore complemented by workshopson “therapeutic gardens” and “gardenpedagogy and psychology”. Karl HeinzRücker (Chief editor “Gartenpraxis”,Stuttgart, D) talked about the function ofgardens in a time of “virtual” worlds.The garden philosopher and pioneer ofthe Dutch nature garden movement, RobLeopold (Network Perennial Perspectives,

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 25

Niebert, NL) perceived the garden as aspace of freedom and openness, dynamicsand permanence, but also as a culturalmedium. He deplored the neglected statusof plants in the current garden art and thelow appreciation of the practical garden-ing work. The potential for social func-tions of gardens was demonstrated byPatricia Hynes (Boston University, Schoolof Public Health, USA) by the example ofcommunity gardens in American largecities. Work with plants and gardensoffers city dwellers an escape from isola-tion, provides future prospects, and cre-ates connections to food production andhealthy nutrition. Jürgen Milchert(University of Applied Sciences Osna-brück, D) contrasted the increasing impor-tance of aesthetically designed landscapesfor the corporate identity of big enterpris-es which appear as luxuriously arrangedenclosures, with the neglect of the publicspaces and greens.James Hitchmough (University of Shef-field, UK) discussed several dilemmas andchallenges to the design and managementof public green. How it is possible to con-tinue to utilise horticultural, non-native

plants, in planting design in changingpolitical and social environment? Howshould horticulturists respond to bio-

Entrance of HSW main hall with attendants discussing posters

Discussion of a poster

diversity as a concept? How to balancethe demand for interesting colourfulplanting, with minimum resource use at atime of declining budgets? He expressedfears that the recent development ofusage of native plants in parks threaten tolead to the extinction of public urban hor-ticulture in the 21st century.Stefan Mattson (Enköping, S) describedhow parks can provide high-value urbanopen spaces if the traditional annualplantings are replaced by innovativeplantings of perennials, whereas NorbertKühn (Technical University Berlin, D) sug-gested to increase the aesthetic value ofspontaneous vegetation in the cities byinterplanting with cultured varieties. Suchan enrichment usually had a positiveeffect on the appearance, provided newlyplanted species had enough competitivepower.Johannes Heeb (President of InternationalEcological Engineering Society, CH) talkedabout challenges for implementing eco-logical engineering in the today’s world.In order to satisfy the requirements ofsustainability, ecological engineering fol-lows the basic concepts of self-designing,self-organization, self-sustaining and sys-tem integration. Ecotechnologies providealso ample opportunities to apply horti-cultural know-how in order to alleviatesome of the problems of our society.Herbert Dreiseitl (Überlingen, D) present-ed an impressive array of possibilities tointegrate water with appropriate plant-ings into the urban landscape, and thusachieve multiple goals such as stormwater management and climate improve-ment. Roland Schertenleib (ETH/EAWAG,

ISHS • 26

CONTACT

Ranka Junge or Jean Bernard Bächtiger,Hochschule Wädenswil/ZFH, Dept. Horti-culture, Grüntal 40, CH-8820 Wädenswil,Switzerland, r.junge@hsw.ch

Ranka Junge and Jean Bernard Bächtiger

Zürich, CH) talked about the necessity fordevelopment of urban agriculture togeth-er with alternative sanitation concepts forthe mega-cities of the future.Several additional excellent papers werepresented in workshops on roof greening,water and plants, noise protection, urbanagriculture, and trends and visions in gar-den design. The interdisciplinarity of theconference was also reflected in theattendance: the participants (approxi-mately 400) from over 20 countriesincluded not only scientists but also prac-titioners from various fields of horticul-ture, landscape and urban design, assort-ment development and production. Theconference was also successful in provid-ing the participants a chance to sharetheir ideas and expertises, start collabora-tions and encourage new projects.The broad range of results of the ICUHshowed that modern horticulture isreceiving interdisciplinary input from vari-ous areas of science and practice andshould play a pivotal role in creating themodern urban environment. Gardens aremore than just the sum of nature anddesign, they are a social necessity!During the congress, the annual meetingsof the “Arbeitskreis Staudenverwen-dung” (Association of gardeners ofperennials), and of “PERENNE” (Asso-ciation for breeding and assortmentdevelopment of perennials) also tookplace.The conference dinner was held in the“Park im Grünen” which belongs to the

Discussion under the sun (outside the building)

largest retailer in Switzerland - Migros.Jean Bernard Bächtiger, head of theDepartment Horticulture explained thatthanks to Gottlieb Duttweiler, the founderof Migros, the beautiful park in Rüschlikonwas the first park in Switzerland to beopen to the public.

HISTORYHISTORY

From its founding in 1959, ISHS hadgrown significantly in size, stature andactivities by the 1980s. This growth hadseveral effects. First, it required more andmore activity at the Secretariat to servicethe needs of the increasing numbers ofindividual, organization and countrymembers, to process the details involvedwith the steadily increasing numbers ofinternational symposia organized underSociety auspices and to edit, print, sell andship the Acta that resulted from thesesymposia. Second, the tradition of the

Restructuring of ISHS 1992-1998In 1994 at the XXIVth International Horticultural Congress in Kyoto, Japan, theCouncil undertook a major reorganization in the governance of the Society.The major changes included a complete revision of the Society statutes, whichincluded a change in the size, composition and selection of the Board, replace-ment of the position of Secretary-General with an Executive Director, and adefinitive separation of the offices of President of the Society and President ofthe Congress. The changes instituted at this time had antecedents going backmany years and derived in part from the rapid growth of the Society in the pre-ceding decade. These changes passed by the Council were then approved bythe General Assembly.

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 27

Society was to have the President of theSociety come from the country hostingthe forthcoming Congress. Thus, one per-son usually served as both President of theSociety and of the Congress, whichimposed an increasingly heavy burden asthe Society expanded and the Congressprograms grew in size and complexity. Inaddition, the person selected as SocietyPresident served four years as ISHS Vice-President, four years leading up to theCongress as President and four years fol-lowing the Congress on the ISHS Board asPast-President. This commitment in timebecame increasingly difficult to fulfill aswork schedules became fuller and Societydemands increased. Third, there was anincreasing desire for the possibility ofbroader country representation on theISHS Board, since Board representationwas de facto limited to those countrieslarge enough to organize a Congress.One of the first steps to ease the demandson the Board was taken in 1986 severalmonths after the close of the XXIInd IHCin Davis, California, USA. The newPresident delegated additional powers tothe Secretary-General to permit more effi-cient functioning of the Secretariat. Evenso, the Secretary-General raised the issueof increasing Secretariat workload at eachsucceeding Council meeting. He ultimate-ly took steps to ease his workload byincreasing the size of the Secretariat staffas well as by appointing representatives indifferent parts of the world to assist him,but this latter solution was not reallyeffective for the purpose intended.In 1990, at the Council meeting precedingthe XXIIIrd IHC in Florence, Italy, severalconcerns were raised by Council membersregarding the existing Statutes, whichwere considered to be unclear or outdatedon several matters. Another issue broughtforward was the desire by some Councilmembers to separate the offices ofPresident of the Congress and Presidentof the Society. Past President HaroldTukey pointed out that there was norequirement in Statutes that the Presidentof the Society also serve as President ofthe Congress. Ultimately the Councildecided it was not possible to proceedwith this change at that time, but theissue was clearly one that Council wouldhave to solve in the coming years. Also atthe Council meeting, Vice President M.Iwata requested to withdraw as incomingPresident of the Society and proposedProf. R. Sakiyama as President. TheCouncil agreed to this change and Prof.Iwata then went on to serve as head ofthe XXIVth IHC in Kyoto. Finally, althoughthe Netherlands had submitted the pro-posal to host the XXVth IHC, DutchCouncil members, in response to efforts

by the Secretary-General, some otherCouncil members and considerable dis-cussion within the Council, indicated thatthey were willing to cooperate with rep-resentatives from Belgium andLuxembourg in organizing the IHC.Eventually this IHC was organized inBrussels under Benelux sponsorship.In July, 1992, at the Council meeting inLeuven, Belgium, several proposals wereput forward by Council members and theSecretariat on restructuring the Society.After extensive discussion, the Councilappointed a committee to consider all thesuggestions, to evaluate the existingStatutes and to come up with a proposedrevision of the Statutes that could be con-sidered for adoption at the 1994 IHC inKyoto. This committee consisted of G.Bünemann (Germany), D. Robinson(Ireland), H. Tindall (United Kingdom), D.Cantliffe (U.S.A.), J. Possingham(Australia), A. Monteiro (Portugal), J. VanDoesburg (Netherlands) and P. Martin-Prével (France). The committee selectedDr. Bünemann as chair. At the Boardmeeting preceding this Council meeting,disagreements arose between theSecretary-General and the other Boardmembers regarding the functioning of theBoard, the role of each Board member,and the comments of the auditing firm tothe Board regarding the way that thefinancial records were being kept andfinancial affairs were being handled andreported by the Secretariat. Althoughthese issues were not brought beforeCouncil at this time, they were broughtout during the following year both pre-ceding and at the Board and ExecutiveCommittee meetings held in South Africa.In October, 1993, the Board andExecutive Committee met in Hennops-meer, South Africa. At this meeting, itbecame apparent that a serious split haddeveloped between the Secretary-General and the other Board membersregarding the functioning of the Board,the powers that had been delegated tothe Secretary-General in 1986, the func-tioning of the Secretariat and the devel-oping financial problems of the Society.Although the Executive Committee didnot have the authority under the existingStatutes to resolve these problems, it didappoint two of its members, C. Brickell(United Kingdom) and O. Verdonck(Belgium), to assist the Board and medi-ate issues between the Secretary-Generaland the Board where possible until thenext Council meeting was held in Kyotoin 1994. The Statutes RevisionCommittee also met at Hennopsmeer andthe committee members consulted withBoard and Executive Committee mem-bers regarding the progress that the

Committee had made. Prior to the meet-ing in Hennopsmeer, The Secretary-General opened a second office for theSecretariat in Leuven, Belgium, andadded additional staff for the Secretariat.In August, 1994, at the Council meetingpreceding the XXIVth IHC in Kyoto, athorough discussion took place regardingthe difficulties between the Secretary-General and Board and the general statusof the Society. This discussion emphasizedthe need for change in governance of theSociety. An extensive and vigorousdebate then took place about the pro-posed new Statutes that had been devel-oped by the committee chaired by Dr.Bünemann. Eventually the Council votedto adopt the new Statutes and moved onto elect the members of the new Board,using a procedure to make certain that allareas of the world had representation onit. Further debate on the new Statutes fol-lowed at the General Assembly beforethis body also approved the new Statutesand confirmed the new Board members inoffice. At the closing joint Council andExecutive Committee meeting, theCouncil accepted the Secretary-General’sresignation and authorized the new Boardto select an Acting Executive Director andproceed with the resolution of any exist-ing problems in the Secretariat and inother aspects of the Society’s affairs. TheCouncil agreed to hold a special meetingin 1995 jointly with the ExecutiveCommittee to review the progress madeby the new Board in resolving the prob-lems of the Society. The changes in theStatutes meant that the new Board wouldhave the leading role in the governanceof the Society and the Executive Directorwould function under the guidance of theBoard. The larger size of the Board alsopermitted a broader distribution of thework than under the old system.The new five member Board consisted ofS. Sansavini (President) plus C. Brickell(Europe), J. Possingham (Africa, Asia,Oceania), R. Zimmerman (North andSouth America) and A. Monteiro (AtLarge). The Board members then dividedup the responsibilities as follows: C.Brickell - Vice-President/Scientific Affairs;A. Monteiro - Secretary/SecretariatAffairs; R. Zimmerman - Treasurer/Financial Affairs; and J. Possingham -Publications.The problems faced by the new Boardwere even greater than they originallyanticipated. As a first step in solvingthem, the Board selected O. Verdonck asActing Executive Director, which providedsome continuity with the existingarrangements at the Secretariat. Problemsto be solved included selecting a single

ISHS • 28

site for the Secretariat, resolving person-nel issues, reorganizing the finances of theSociety, improving the whole system ofpublishing Acta Horticulturae, and devel-oping plans for future Society activitiesand expansion. From October, 1994,through July, 1995, the Board membersmet three times during which they wereable to closely observe Secretariat opera-tions, evaluate personnel, develop afinancial plan, and prepare plans for thefuture. The actions of the Board during itsfirst year in office were reviewed andapproved by the Council and ExecutiveCommittee in Montpellier in September,1995. Thereafter, the Board met onlytwice per year.Within a few months of taking office, thenew Board selected Leuven as the site ofthe Secretariat, taking into considerationbenefits provided by the host institution(Katholiek University of Leuven), financialsupport offered by the Belgian andFlemish governments and the Secretariatstaff already employed at Leuven. JozefVan Assche was hired as the ExecutiveDirector in late 1995. The Society’s finan-cial management procedures were mod-ernized, an important step in solving thefinancial crisis that the Society then faced.Keys to paying off the sizable debts of theSociety were the provision of ten volumesof Acta to the Society by the organizers ofthe XXIVth IHC in Kyoto and the under-standing, assistance and patience of boththe printers with whom the Society hadworked for many years and the Society’s

employees. As a result of the support ofthese three groups, the Society’s debtswere fully paid within 19 months of thenew Board taking office and the Societywas not forced to take out a loan to settlethe accounts. Following this milestone,the Board was able to set aside reservefunds to provide a stable basis for devel-opment of future activities while stillmaintaining the same annual dues.During the following years, membershipincreased, stimulated in part by lowerdues for students and for scientists incountries with developing economies.Secretariat operations were updated withnew computers, email communicationcapability was added and a homepagewas started. A survey was taken of mem-bers expectations and used in developinga strategic plan for the Society. Anincreased number of international sym-posia were sponsored as were severaltraining workshops, either as adjuncts tosymposia or independently. A very suc-cessful World Congress on HorticulturalResearch was organized in conjunctionwith the American Society forHorticultural Science, which is resulting inISHS efforts to work with horticulturalresearchers in developing countries. Theformat and quality of Acta Horticulturaewere significantly upgraded, resulting ingreater recognition and increased distri-bution. The Board worked with membersof the Executive Committee to developimproved procedures for selecting chairsof Sections, Commissions and Working

CONTACT

Dr. R.H. Zimmerman, 507 Leighton Ave.,Silver Spring, MD 20901-4825, USA.Phone: (+1)3015878907,fax: (+1)3015878907,email: rhz1415@starpower.net

Richard Zimmerman

Groups so that term limits are in place andenforced and new chairs are elected bythe members of the respective groups.The Board identified several problemswith the Statutes adopted in Kyoto andworked with Council to develop solu-tions, which were approved by theGeneral Assembly at the XXVth IHC in1998. One major change moved the reg-istered seat of the Society to Belgiumwhere the Secretariat is located, whichhas simplified a number of administrativeprocedures for the Secretariat and theSociety. The result of the efforts in 1994-1998 by the Board, Executive Committee,Council and many individual members ofISHS was to reinvigorate the Society andto increase its relevance to internationalhorticultural research as the 20th centurycame to a close.

THE WORLD OF HORTICULTURETHE WORLD OF HORTICULTURE

Adaptation of Temperate Fruit Cropsto Subtropical Conditions

A workshop on “Adaptation of Tempe-rate Fruit Crops to Subtropical Condi-tions” was held at Embrapa Clima tem-perado, Pelotas, Brazil 2-3 December2002, in order to discuss view points ofresearchers dealing with dormancy ofthese species, models to estimate chillingrequirement and time of bud break, withemphasis on adaptation to mild wintersareas and flower bud abortion. Besides,the aim was to discuss the possibilities of

cooperative projects between differentinstitutions and countries. Participantscame from Brazil, China, France, Japan,Mexico, Spain and Uruguay.In order to improve the cultivation oftemperate fruit crops in subtropical areas,participants agreed that some kind ofmarkers to establish reliably the beginningand the end of dormancy would be ofimportance. The content and transport ofcarbohydrates in the bud and adjacent tis-sues, the ATP/ADP ratio in relation with

bud development and molecular markerswere discussed. Information was also pre-sented on measures to satisfy the chillingrequirement by using chemical treatmentor -more often- by reducing the chillingrequirement through breeding. Mostresearchers are focusing their attention onmarkers and models to determine thechilling requirement. Carbohydratemovement is one of the subjects mostwidely investigated by the attendingphysiologists.

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 29

In relation to the flower bud abortion,especially in pears, several aspects werediscussed. However, the conclusion wasthat carbohydrate content differs with cli-matic conditions and is possibly the maincause of abortion. Other interesting sub-jects discussed were the influence of thelatitude on cultivars adaptation and fruitproduction in protected cultivation. At theend participants decided to hold a similarworkshop every two years in a differentcountry.

CONTACT

Dr. Flavio Herter, herter@cpact.embrapa.bror Dr. Maria do Carmo Bassols Raseira, bas-sols@cpact.embrapa.br, Embrapa/Cpact,C. Postal 403, 96001-970, Pelotas RS,Brazil

Flavio Herter and Maria do Carmo Bassols Raseira

Possibilities for international cooperativeresearch projects, mainly regard aspectsof breeding and physiology. The empha-sis in breeding will be the adaptation tomild winters and tools to help reach thatgoal. The emphasis in physiology will bemarkers to indicate the end of dormancy,the development of models to describedormancy and the determination of chill-ing requirement.

New books, websites

The books listed here are non-ISHS-publications. For ISHS publications cover-ing these or other subjects we refer to the ISHS website www.ishs.org or theActa Horticulturae website www.actahort.org.

FOOD ENCYCLOPEDIAS

It never rains but it pours. Three encyclo-pedic volumes published in the last fewyears have filled a big gap in the literatureof food. Students, professionals,researchers, if fact anyone who wants tolearn more about the fabulous world offood, now have three references toexplore the subject. I had the first two ofthem in my library and I was fortunate toreceive a complimentary set of TheEncyclopedia of Food and Culture as areward for being on the editorial board.To evaluate the three works, I comparedcoverage of two topics that popped intomy head: blue-veined cheese (bluecheese, Roquefort, Stilton, and Gorgon-zola) and eggplant.The Oxford Companion to Food, the firstto be published, is a one-volume work of892 pages, that in three-column formatand small type, squeezes in a tremendousamount of information. There are relative-ly few line drawings, tables, or boxedinformation; this is not a picture book.Amazingly, this is the work of a singleauthor who spent about 25 years assem-bling this material. Davidson has a grace-ful style and impressive erudition. Thebook is user friendly; somewhat of anexpanded dictionary of food and foodterms. I was impressed to find separateentries on blue cheese, Roquefort, Stilton,and Gorgonzola, as well as a separatelong article on cheese. Horticultural cropsare well covered although there is a bit ofan English bias; eggplant was not listedalthough the reference on aubergine tellsus that eggplant is the American name.

Fortunately, there is a special index totake care of synonyms and, sure enough,I found eggplant that led me toaubergine. Binomials are not indexed; thisis not meant as a scientific resource. Thereis an extensive bibliography but it is notcited. Anyone with a deep interest in foodor cooking, especially horticulturists, willprofit by adding this volume to their per-sonal library as a handy reference. It willmake a welcome gift for your epicureanfriends. In 2002, Penguin Books reformat-ted the work as a paperback and retitledit as The Penguin Companion to Food,with a 30 USD price tag, a very affordableprice.The Cambridge World History of Food isa beautiful, boxed, two-volume set witha stunning wrapper featuring a famousfruit portrait of Rudolph II byArchimboldo. However, do not judge abook by its cover as this reference com-pletely lacks any figures. There are a totalof 2153 pages with an extensive bibliog-raphy at the end of each article and avery useful index at the end of the sec-ond volume. If you are interested in spe-cific information on blue-veined cheeses,you will be disappointed but there is sub-stantial information on cheese in general.Eggplant is a specific entry and is crossed-referenced with Solanum melongena;aubergine is included as a synonym butnot indexed. In order to locate specificinformation one must start with the indexbecause the organization of the book isnot alphabetical but made up of eightindividual sections dealing with ancientfoods, staples, dietary liquids, nutrients,world food and drink, nutrition and

health, and contemporary food policy.This organization, unusual in my judg-ment, leads to inconsistencies. For exam-ple, there is detailed information on anumber of food crops in Section II(Staples) including algae (?), alliums (?),beans, with bananas and plantains as theonly fruit crops. To find apple, I wasdirected to a section entitled HistoricalDictionary of the World’s Plant Foods(Volume 2), but the material is quite lim-ited. This work is a scholarly treatment ofsubject matter related to the history offood and nutrition by specialists writingfor academics. For example, there is anentire chapter devoted to coprolites andanother to yaks. By browsing. I cameacross a wonderful chapter on soft drinkscontaining what I would consider hard-to-find historical information and aninsightful chapter by one of the editors(KFK) entitled, “The Question ofPaleolithic Nutrition and ModernHealth.” This is a book for scholars, notgourmets.The most recent entry is the Encyclopediaof Food and Culture, a three-volume pot-pourri of information emphasizinganthropology and ethnology, foodsources, food technology, and food lore,with lively attentions of the pleasures ofthe table. The volumes, individually num-bered, add up to 2014 pages! These arebig books; you will not be able to carrythe set home in your briefcase. They arevery well illustrated including drawingsand photographs, many of historic inter-est, and each volume has a section ofcolour plates. I was pleased to find a sec-tion on blue-veined cheeses and variousreferences to eggplant (but no specificentry). There is an extensive index butbinomials are not included. The entriesare listed alphabetically but, becausegeneral and specific articles are inter-

ISHS • 30

spersed, the index at the end of Volume3 is vital to locate material. Each entry iscrossed reference and contains a bibliog-raphy. The articles are aimed at aninformed, nontechnical audience. Ienjoyed browsing through this enormouswork that is rich in the ethnology andpopular culture of food. The price is toohigh for most personal budgets but I urgeyour library to purchase a copy.Hopefully, a less pricey edition willbecome available.Comparing these three works is an inter-esting experience because they each rep-resent a different approach to the field offood. I find them complimentary and thestudent would do well to research all offor a complete story. I recommend all ofthem to libraries as valuable additions totheir reference section. To paraphrase oneof my favourite authors, other books cloythe appetites they feed, but these makehungry where most they satisfy. TheOxford Companion to Food. 1999. A.Davidson, Oxford University Press,Oxford, 60 USD (paperback, retitled ThePenguin Companion to Food. 2002.Penguin Books, 30 USD). The CambridgeWorld History of Food. 2000. K.F. Kipleand K. Conee Ornelas (Eds.) CambridgeUniversity Press, Cambridge, 150 USD.The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture2003. S. H. Katz (Editor in chief), CharlesScribner’s Sons, New York, 395 USD.(Reviewed by Jules Janick, PurdueUniversity, USA).

BACTERIAL DISEASERESISTANCE IN PLANTS:MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ANDBIOTECHNOLOGICALAPPLICATIONS

This comprehensive reference book forboth teaching and research describes themolecular biology of plant-pathogeninteractions in depth. It do not only pres-ent reviews of current research but goeson to suggest future research strategies toexploit the studies in interventions withbiotechnological, commercial and fieldapplications. All major aspects are cov-ered, including molecular recognitionbetween the pathogen and its host, hostdefence mechanisms, inducible plant pro-teins and secondary metabolites, activeoxygen species and biotechnology appli-cations. The systematic coverage sets thisbook far apart from previous textbooksand review articles. For a complete list ofcontents, visit the website www.haworth-press.com. Written by P. Vidhyasekaran,Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,Coimbatore, India, October 2002, 466pp. with index and reference notes, hard

110.95 USD, ISBN 1-56022-924-1, soft59.95 USD, ISBN 1-56022-925-X.

SEED POLICY, LEGISLATIONAND LAW: WIDENING ANARROW FOCUS

This book brings together internationalexperts on seed policy and law. It makesclear that a successful national seed policymust be based on a thorough analysis ofconnected issues such as biodiversity andrural development. It gives an essentialoverview of seed regulatory reform andalso brings up to date on recent develop-ments in the field, such as intellectualproperty and the biosafety of GMOs. Thesystem is well discussed in the context ofindustrialized nations, developing coun-tries and economies in transitions.Especially to those concerned with seedsector development in lesser developedcountries. For a complete list of contents,visit the website www.haworthpress.com.Edited by Niels P. Louwaars, PlantResearch International, Wageningen, TheNetherlands, August 2002, 260 pp. withindex and reference notes, hard 49.95USD, ISBN 1-56022-092-9, soft 29.95USD, ISBN 1-56022-093-7.(A mono-graph published simultaneously as theJournal of New Seeds, Vol. 4, Nos. 1/2).

PLANT-DERIVED ANTIMY-COTICS: CURRENT TRENDSAND FUTURE PROSPECTS

A comprehensive and innovative exami-nation of the antimycotic potential ofessential plant oils and extracts againstfungal infections affecting humans, ani-mals, plants and foodstuffs. This bookslooks at antifungal compounds thatstrengthen plant-defense systems, tradi-tional herbs that have revealed their anti-fungal properties, newer, faster methodsof screening and evaluating antifungaldrugs, new bioactive antifungal moleculesand much more. Edited by M. K. Rai,Amravati University, Maharashtra, Indiaand Donatella Mares, University ofFerrara, Italy, published by Food ProductsPress, an Imprint of The Haworth Press(www.haworthpress.com), 2003, approx.789 pp. with index, hard 99.95 USD, ISBN1-56022-926-8, soft 69.95 USD, ISBN 1-56022-927-6.

CD FASZINATIONAUSTRALISCHE ZIER-PFLANZEN (IN GERMAN)

CD about Australian ornamental plantsby Wolf-Uwe and Ingrid von Hentig,

45 EUR. See www.australian-wildflow-ers.com or email: iuhentig@australian-wildflowers.com.

JOURNAL OF FOOD,AGRICULTURE ANDENVIRONMENT (JFAE)

Research on Food andAgriculture is progres-sively moving towardsan interdisciplinarystudy of sustainablefood production tomeet the demand ofgrowing human popu-lations. However, asmore countries indus-trialize, there is anincrease in air andwater pollution, soilcontamination, as wellas elevated levels of global warming anddepletion of the ozone layer. This com-plex scenario challenges researchers todevelop and test more appropriate tech-nologies for sustainable agriculture.Research, for example, is being carriedout to overcome problems of environ-mental stress, minimize the use of pesti-cides, slow post-harvest storage losses,and explore nutrition, animal science andhuman health, by using conventional andnew technologies such as biotechnology,mutation-assisted breeding and molecu-lar biology. The Journal of Food,Agriculture, and Environment (JAFE) isdedicated to meeting the need for a newjournal that can encompass this widerange of topics and interdisciplinaryapproaches. JAFE will publish (in print andon-line versions) peer-reviewed originalresearch, protocols, critical reviews andshort communications in food science andtechnology, and agriculture, with particu-lar emphasis on interdisciplinary studieson food, human nutrition, agricultural,animal science and environment. WorldFood RD Ltd / JFAE Editorial Office, Meri-Rastilantie 3 C, FIN-00980 Helsinki,Finland. Phone: (+358)505051135 or(+359)7592775, email: Editorial@world-food.net or Info@world-food.net. PrintISSN: 1459-0255 and Online ISSN: 1459-0263.

HORTIVAR

HORTIVAR, a horticultural crop cultivarsperformance database, has been devel-oped by the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO) as part of the World AgricultureInformation Centre (WAICENT). In lightof the growing concern for “food safety”

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 31

and environmentally sustainable crop pro-duction, growing the right cultivar in theright place and at the right time is a keycomponent of good agricultural practice(GAP).HORTIVAR is a new tool for safeguardinginformation on the agronomic perform-ance of horticultural cultivars in relation toagro-ecological conditions, cultivationpractices, the occurrence of pests and dis-eases, market requirements, and con-sumer preferences. It originated from theneed to store and easily retrieve data pub-lished in technical documents as a result ofFAO field projects. However, it is equallysuitable for recording trial results from thewide array of public and private sectorhorticultural science research centresaround the world that conduct field trialsto assess the performance of horticulturalcrop cultivars in different agro-climaticand agro-economic environments.This wealth of information is not, at thepresent time, easily accessible. Further-more, much of the information that canbe accessed is difficult to evaluate sincethe methodologies applied for datarecording vary so widely from country tocountry and sometimes even within acountry from one institution to another.HORTIVAR is a centralised informationbase for the recording and retrieval ofdata on the performances of horticulture

cultivars throughout the world and,importantly, provides a standardised datarecording methodology for field trials andobservations. It serves as:- A tool for easy and quick retrieval of

information related to horticulture culti-vars all over the world

- A standard methodology for datarecording of current and future cultivartrials

- A source for data analysis and extrapo-lation (GIS applications)

- A template for educational purposes incolleges and universities

- A lively interface between scientists andgrowers

- A source for quick retrieval of availableseeds of required cultivars for emer-gency operations

HORTIVAR covers six categories of horti-cultural crops: fruits, vegetables, roots andtubers, ornamentals, mushrooms, herbs &condiments. The data registered in thedatabase are “site specific” and geo-ref-erenced and suitable for GIS applications.HORTIVAR has two primary functionswhich are interdependent: Data retrievaland data entry. Access to the HORTIVARdatabase in free of charge.Data are retrieved by searching accordingto various parameters such as crop,

species; cultivar, country, geographicalreferences, resistance to pest and dis-eases, ecozone, and production system.For data entry, interested partners have toregister and obtain their personalisedusername and password from theHORTIVAR Desk Office at FAOHeadquarters by sending an email tohortivar@fao.org.The structure of the HORTIVAR databasehas the following essentially elements:1. General Information (site and geo-ref-erences, cultivar and characteristics, seedsupplier and contact address)2. Basic Cropping and Yield data (targetplant product, production system, datarecording environment, transplanting ordirect seeding system, planting density,total fresh yield, crop cycle)3. Source (origin of data, publication ref-erence if any, data originator and his/heremail contact, country and species gate-keepers and his/her email contact)4. Additional data (inter alia climateinformation, target product destinationand use, nursery practices, field opera-tions and practices including substrate,irrigation, fertilization, plant protection,harvesting practices)5. PhotographsHORTIVAR also facilitates access to otherdatabases as well as websites of partnerinstitutions or individuals in relation tohorticultural science (examples includethe World List of Seed Sources, Ecoport,ISHS and CABI). The database is accessi-ble through internet at the followingwebsite: www.fao.org/hortivar. A stand-alone CD version is also available. Thefirst version of the CD was released onthe occasion of the XXVI InternationalHorticultural Congress, Toronto, August,2002.Contact: W.O. Baudoin, Senior OfficerHorticultural Crops Group, Crop andGrassland Service, FAO or L. Herzigová,HORTIVAR Desk Officer, email: horti-var@fao.org.

ISHS • 32

FROM THE SECRETARIATFROM THE SECRETARIAT

Courses and Meetings

The following are non-ISHS events. Make sure to checkout the Calendar of ISHS Events for an extensive listingof all ISHS meetings. For updated information log on towww.ishs.org/calendar.

5th International Symposium on the Chemistry of NaturalCompounds (5th SCNC), May 20-23, 2003, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.Info: http://icps.assalom.org/symposium.phtml

49th Annual Conference of the Interamerican Society for TropicalHorticulture, September 1-5, 2003, Fortaleza Ceara, Brazil. Info:Richard Campbell, Secretary-Treasurer, Fairchild Tropical TropicalGardens Research Center, 11935 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL 33156USA. Phone: (+1)3056671651x3420, fax: (+1)3056658032, email:rcampbell@fairchildgarden.org

Australasian Postharvest Horticulture Conference, October 1-3,2003, Carlton Crest Hotel, Brisbane Australia. Info:http://www.aphc2003.org, email: sally.brown@uq.net.au

100th Annual Conference of the American Society for HorticulturalScience, October 2-6, 2003, Providence, Rhode Island (USA). Info:Tracy Shawn, ASHS, 113 South West Street, Suite 200, Alexandria,VA 22314-2851 USA. Phone: (+1)7038364606x330, fax:(+1)7038362024, email: ashs@ashs.org

International Conference on Greenhouse Technologies, Horticultureand Floriculture, 5-6 November, 2003, Amsterdam RAI concurrent-ly with international HortiFair 2003. Info: Mrs. Ineke van Wieringen,email: ivanwieringen@europoint-bv.com, www.europoint-bv.com

10th International Citrus Congress (ICC2004), Agadir, Morocco,15-20 February, 2004. Info: M. El-Otmani, Institut Agronomique etVétérinaire Hassan II, PO Box 728, Agadir 80.000, Morocco. Phone:(+212)48248892, fax: (+212)48248892/242243, email:icc2004@iavcha.ac.ma, web: http://www.lal.ifas.ufl.edu/isc_cit-rus_homepage.htm

Total Food 2004 - Exploiting Co-Products, Minimising Waste, 25-28, April 2004, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK. Info:http://www.ifr.ac.uk/events/totalfood.pdf

We are pleased to welcome the fol-lowing new members:

NEW ORGANISATIONMEMBERS:

Austrian Horticultural Society, Dr.Johannes Balas, Parkring 12, 1010 Wien,Austria. Phone : (43)15128416, Fax:(43)15128416 or 8417, email:oegg@oegg.ov.at.

NEW INDIVIDUALMEMBERS:

Mr. Baziz Karim; Argentina: SegundoBobadilla; Australia: Ass. Prof. SteveAdkins, Philip Altmann, Mr. Ben Brown,Ms. Jenny Chandler, Mr. Robert Collins,Mr. Graham Davies, Mr. Samuel Dow,Mr. Cameron Graves, Mr. Robert JHitchcock, Ms. Anne Martin, Mr.

New ISHS Members

Darren Maxwell, Anwar Mohammed,Brian Nolan, Ms. Tracy Norman, Dr.Cathy Offord, Dr. Sophie Parks, TheaRidley, Gary Robinson, Ms. JoannaSrhoj, Mr. Angus Stewart, Mr. LeighTeitz, Lilia Weatherly, Mr. MarkWhattam, Dr. Waltraud Wightman;Bahamas: Ms. Patricia Cartwright;Barbados: Cyril Roberts; Belgium:Vincent Claux, Ms. Ine Maenhout, Mr.Daniël Maricau, Mr. Sicco Roorda VanEysinga, Nico Tomme, Prof. Dr. AndréToussaint, Dr. Marie-Christine VanLabeke, Mr. Yannick Vancoppenolle,Geert Vetters; Botswana: Mr. BenjaminRaseroka; Brazil: Mr. Luiz Lichtenstein;Canada: Mr. John Albers, Mr. SamuelAsiedu, Dr. Alain Berinstain, Ms. HelenByczko, Dr. Marie Thérèse Charles,Rhonda Dawson, Mr. Stephen Dennis,Mr. James Donaldson, Mr. NormanHerbert, Mr. Romeo Jalbert, Susan

Livingstone, Mr. Daniel Malenfant, Mr.Ray Mc Donald, Mary Metz, Mr. RenoMontagano, Gerry H. Neilson, Ms.Manatchaya Ngarmsak, Mr. ReneSchmitz, Ms. Natasha St. Onge, MichelTremblay, Mr. Charles Vermeer, Mr.Ezequiel Villanueva-Ruiz, Jim Vyn, Mr.Colin Wong; Chile: Mr. Hugo Arcaya,Ms. Verena Mueller, Mr. MauricioRiveros, Mr. Eduardo Sone, Mr. JaimeToha; China: Dr. Xueping Li, Prof. Dr.Mr. Cheng-Ming Liu, Prof. Dr.Qingchang Liu, Mr. Faraz Maani, Dr.Mr. Qing Yao, Ms. Hailan Zhang, Ms.Biyan Zhou, Ms. Da Yue Ms. Zhu;Colombia: Javier Beltran, CamiloBotero, Mr. Luis Fonseca, GustavoHerrera, Maria Eugenia Martinez;Croatia: Dr. Dijana Skoric; CzechRepublic: Dr. Robert Pokluda; Denmark:Ms. Kirsten Brandt, Dr. Henrik Jakobsen,Ms. Hanne Rasmussen, Mr. Søren

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 33

Sørensen; Egypt: El-Sayed El-Badrawy,Adel Niazy Mostafa, Mr. MohamedSherif Shahin; Estonia: Mr. HarriTallinn; Ethiopia: Mr. Dessie Getahun;Finland: H.I. Kokko, Mr. Paul Riches;France: Jeanpierre Buis, ElisabethDodinet, Mr. Jean-Michel Dupuyoo,Olivier Etchepare, Marc Fonteneau,Vincent Letellier, Mr. Jean-FrançoisMartin, Ms. Satoko Ozu; Germany: Dr.Norman Klaunzer, Mr. Peter Stremer,Ms. Angela Toth, Prof. Dr. ChristianUlrichs, Dr. Markus Woitke; Greece: Mr.Alexandro Alatzas, Mr. EmmanuilAndrianakis, Stella Cabeli, Dr. ChristosGalazoulas, Mr George A. Manganaris,Prof. Dr. Christos M. Olympios, AntonisZoulias; Guatemala: Mr. CarlosTorrebiarte; Hungary: Pál Molnár, Mr.Géza Nyers; India: Mr. KaushlendraAgarwal, Mr. Sreeram Chellappa, Mr.Rajnikant Jain, Dr. Satya Prasad Makula,Prof. Subhash Mehta, Prof. Dr. ManoiKumar Sadhu; Indonesia: DeboraHerlina, Charina Noor, Ms. IkaSulistyowati; Iran: Dr. JavanshahAmanollah, Dr. Gharyazee Behzad, Mr.Behrooz Gheibi; Ireland: Mr. EamonnKehoe, Mr. Paul O’Sullivan, Mr. PaulSnell; Israel: Dr. Moshe Meron, Mr.Itzhak Ran - Migal, Mr. Boaz Wachtel,Shay Zeltzer; Italy: Dr. Dario Armanino,Dr. Anna Rosa Babini, Prof. SandroDettori, Giovanni Fantola, ValeriaNarducci, Dr. Luigi Orlandi, GilbertiPoderi di San Pietro, Dr. SilviaZuccherelli; Jamaica: Mr. Alvin Murray;Japan: Dr. Masaru Adachi, Mr. ShuichiHamatani, Ms. Rieko Kominato, Dr.Hirofumi Kurata, Dr. Tunosuke Shiozaki,Shohei Yanaki, Dr. Makoto Ymagata,Dr. Masahide Yumoto; Jersey, C.I.: Mr.John Fa; Korea - Republic of: Dr. SuckKyu Jung, Ms. Kyunghee Kang;Lithuania: Dr. Simas Gliozeris;Malaysia: Mr. Wong Robert; Mexico:Prof. Dr. Fikrat Abdullaev, Ass. Prof.Fernando Arroyo, Dr. Jeannette SofíaBayuelo-Jiménez, Mr. Arved Deecke,Prof. Dr. Ignacio Gonzalez, Prof.Federico González Tamez, Dr. ValdemarGonzalez, Dr. Maria Eugenia Jaramillo-Flore, Dr. Pilar Longar, Prof. Dr. JorgeMontañez, Dr. Dora A. Ortega-Zaleta,Raymundo Pérez Angel, Dr. GerardoRodríguez-Alvarado, Dr. BenjaminRodriguez-Garay; Netherlands: Mr.Awn Al Khasawneh, Mr. Chris Blok, Mr.Ronald A. Bosch, G.A. De Jong, Mr.Hugo De Mooij, Mr. Jacques A.F. deRuijter, Mr. Ton Goes, Alje Haan, Jan

Hadders, Mr. Gert-Jan Krook, Dr. PinarSargin, Dr. Ad H.C.M. Schapendonk,Idske van Dijk, Mr. Ronald Veens; NewZealand: Dr. Nevin Amos, Steve Bayley,Mr. Clifford Brown, David Easton, Mr.John Elliott, Mr. Laurie Flaws, Ms. VesnaMijalkovic, Mr. Steven Rathé, Mr.Anthony Washington; Nigeria: Mr.Abdulaziz Ibrahim; Norway: Mr.Hallvard Forsund, Nina Heiberg, Mr.Trond Vegger; Pakistan: Mr. SyedAamir Abdul Rauf; Peru: Cesar E.Fontana, Mr. Augusto Rios; Philippines:Mr. Garlandino Cueto; Poland:Agnieszka Markiewicz-Januszewska;Portugal: Maribela Pestana; SaudiArabia: Mr. Waleed Al Bakri, Mr. RaadAlbakri, Mr. Waleed Alfayez, Dr. NasserAl-Khalifah; Serbia and Montenegro:Juliette Dierick; Singapore: Mr. StephenLee; South Africa: Mr. Jan Bredenkamp,Johannes Corbett, Mr. Alastair Forsyth,Mr. Richard Gillies, Mr. PetrusLangenhoven; Spain: Dr. FedericoDicenta Lopez-Higuera, Dr. EnriqueEspi, Mr. Ambrosio Hernández, Dr.Pedro Martínez-Gómez, Mr. FranciscoDomin Molina Aiz, José Ordovás, Prof.Dr. Robert Schubert; Sri Lanka: Dr.Sydney Fernando; Switzerland: Mr.Patrick Jermann, Ms. Judith Ladner,Prof. François Lefort; Taiwan: Chin-Cherng Lan; Thailand: Dr. ThatchaiChuenchom, Vimonrat Ms.Krataithong, Mr. Soonthorn Sritawee,Ferdinand Van Wichelen; Tunisia: RimBouhelal, Ass. Prof. Samiha Khelifa;Turkey: Ms. Ebru Artam Tarhan, GulayBesirli, Mr. Irfan Cirpan, Mr. SonerKazaz, Prof. Dr. Nurgul Turemis; UnitedArab Emirates: Mr. Samir Mirdad;United Kingdom: Ms. Kate Bazeley, Mr.Alan Bicker, Mr. Neil Brannan, Mr.Jonathan Crowe, Mr. Lee Dongkeun,Mr. Andy Eccles, Mr. David Ellis, Mr.Barry Ferguson, Ms. Yasmin Ioannides,Mr. R.G. Jones, Mr. Andrew McDonald,Mr. Sreenivasa Redd Mummadi, Ms.Emma Nash, John Iain Paisley-Chisholm, Dr. Malcolm Quigley,Kalmeet Kaur Ms. Rai, Mr. Guy Sisson,Ioannis Sitarenios, Dr. Anthony Smith,Mr. Kelley Spurling, Mr. Neville Stork;United States of America: Mr. DaniloCarimo Abdula, Dr. Jide Adedeji,Victorine Alleyne, Horacio E. Alvarado,Ms. Gwen Ansah, Dr. MallikarjunaAradhya, Mark Aubert, Mr. John C.Bacon, Elizabeth E. Baldwin, Jit B. Baral,Thomas Barrington, Michael Bauer, Dr.Harriet Blitzer Watrous, George E.

Boyhan, Mr. Edwin Brillante, Mr. HankBrokaw, Mr. William Brown, LynnButler, Milt Carter, Prof. CraigChandler, Michael Clark, Mr. PaulClemens, Mr. Edward Collins, Mr.Harvey Correia, Aldo Curiel, Mr. NateDarnell, Joseph W. DeVerba, Ms. RituDhir, Ms. Karin Driggers, Mr. RainerDuchêne, Lisa Dunwoody, TimothyDurbin, Dr. John Duval, Andre Earthy-Find, Chad Edwards, Neil Erickson,Brian Fisk, Dr. David Fleisher, DonnForbes, Christopher Foster, PatriciaFranklin, Dean Fukuchi, Jeff Gerberick,Mr. Darryn Gibson, Ms. EmmaleighGoodwin, Dr. Rick Grazzini, Ross Hall,Daniel Hand, Mr. Peter Harbes, Dr.Stephanie Harvey, Jack Haskell, RichardL. Hassell, Ms. Janie Hibler, DonaldHoman, Ms. Valeria Huneeus, Dr. DeanHung, Ms. Hannah Jacobs, Dr. JohnJifon, David G. Johnson, Teri Johnson,Kurt Jones, Mr. Travis Jones, Dr. RuthKava, Mr. Carl Key, Carey King, Dr.William Kirk, Mr. John Lapide, David A.Loring, Chunsheng Lu, Joel Martinez,Kathryn S. McBride, Dr. WeldonMcFarland, Walter McGibbony, BarryMcKently, Mr. Chad Miller, Mr. JamesE. Miller, Mr. Martin Miller, Dr. PaulMiller, Mr. Raymond Mock, JenniferMontgomery-Salguero, Dr. RobertMorrow, Anna Norton, Mr. ChikeOkonkwo, Kurt Parbst, Fermin Perez,Peggy Pinette, Dan Porter, Mr. IrwinPorter, Mr. Gideon Porth, Dr. FrankPreston, Prof. Brian Rogers, Mr. CharlesRohwer, Dr. Charles Schare, MarkShelly, James Shin, Mr. BenShunfenthal, Jane Smith, TammySmittenaar, Mr. Don Snow, JeraldSouthwell, Mark Stadlen, Mr. CharlesStathacos, Mr. Matthew Stong, RogerC. Styer, Prof. Dr. W. Michael Sullivan,Dr. Ann Sundwall, Mr. OsamuTanahashi, Flinda Terteling, EricToensmeier, Ralph Turner, Mr. IoannisTzanetakis, Mr. Andrew Walden, Dr.Minnie Wang, Mr. Timothy Webster,Carl Erik Werner, Beth White, AnnWolf, Nardo Zaias, Mr. Linhai Zhang;Venezuela: Prof. Deysi Petit-Jiménez;Vietnam: Mr. Nguyen Thien Huy, Mr.Huynh Van Quang

ISHS • 34

In Memoriam

HUGO CHALLA

On the 28th ofFebruary, 2003Prof. Dr HugoChalla of the FarmTechnology Mana-gement group ofW a g e n i n g e nUniversity, diedunexpectedly. Thiswas a shock to allhis family, friendsand colleagues. Hewas well known to

be a keen sportsman and not very suscep-tible to stress with his good sense ofhumour and open-hearted attitudetowards the people around him.Hugo was born in 1944 and finished hisMasters in 1971 in forestry at theWageningen Agricultural University. Hehad written a rather unusual thesis for aforester in those days on the photosyn-thesis of poplar trees. After his Masters hejoined Prof Cees de Wit, the nestor ofcrop-growth modelling. At the same timehe began his work for the Centre of PlantPhysiological Research (CPO) inWageningen, which later merged intoCABO. He got his PhD in 1977 inForestry. Then he started applying thecrop growth models on greenhouse crops.Through this he became very involved inthe research to minimize energy con-sumption in greenhouse production intemperate climates. In 1987 he moved

back to the university to become head ofthe Department of Horticulture. His co-operative attitude and his devotion to theacademic research and teaching are wellknown to all who worked with him for along or short period of time. He guided 20postgraduate students to their doctor’sdegree. He was a member of the board ofdeans, he was chairman of the education-al committee of the C.T. de Wit GraduateSchool for Production Ecology andResource Conservation (PE&RC) and hewas a member of the RepresentativeCouncil of Wageningen University, repre-senting all the employees of theUniversity. It was clear he cared for every-one regardless of social status. He was avery amicable person and always interest-ed in the personal development of thepeople he taught. Be it in science or insports, he strived for perfection, not toexalt himself but for the better of thecause as he saw it. He was Convener ofthe II International Symposium onModelling of Plant Growth, Environ-mental Control and Farm Management inProtected Cultivation, Wageningen, TheNetherlands, 1997. After reorganizationof the plant science department in 1998,he became Professor in Horticultural FarmTechnology, linking greenhouse horticul-ture with engineering. In this new positionhe continued his research in energy opti-mization in greenhouse crops by applyingcrop growth models. He was also co-edi-tor of Acta Horticulturae n° 519,Proceedings of the XXVth International

Prof. Dr. ir.Hugo Challa

DON TINDALL

Don Tindall, founderchairman of theCommission for Tro-pical and Subtropi-cal Horticulture,died on 31st De-cember, 2002 aged81. Don had manyadmirable qualities,both personal andacademic withwhich he rapidlywon the respect and

affection of others. His personality waswell summed up by Professor GordonSpoor at the funeral service at StAndrew’s Church, Ampthill when hedescribed Don as a gentle gentleman.I consider myself fortunate that my path

Horticultural Congress, Part 9 and editorof Acta Horticulturae n° 268, Proceedingsof the Fourth International Symposium onCO2 in Protected Cultivation.Internationally he was very well knownsince he had succeeded Prof. Doorenbosas a Council member of the InternationalSociety for Horticultural Science in 1988.From 1990 till 1994 he was Vice Presidentof the ISHS. Lately he became Editor-in-Chief of Elseviers’ Scientia Horticulturae.Last summer he was so kind as to accom-pany me to the ISHS council meeting andfortunately I had the good sense to listenclosely to his good advice. He was set onhanding over the council membership in agood manner. I am very grateful to hav-ing known him and having had him intro-duce me to the council and his manyfriends there. The last two years of his lifehe split his time between the FarmTechnology Management group and mygroup (Horticultural Production Chains),for he felt a strong affection for theresearch done in the successor of his for-mer group.We are grieved by this sudden loss of agood colleague and friend, who gave allhe could for the cause of science and edu-cation in Horticulture. I am sure that themany colleagues who became his friendsover the entire globe will remember himfor a long time.

Olaf van Kooten, Horticultural Production Chains group,Wageningen University, and ISHS Councel Member,

The Netherlands

crossed repeatedly with Don’s throughoutour lives. We first met in September 1947as horticultural students at ReadingUniversity, UK. Within a year of graduat-ing we met again in Edinburgh in 1950when Don was doing a post graduatecourse at the Royal Botanic Gardens and Iwas gaining practical experience in veg-etable culture in nearby Musselburgh.Later we were to meet regularly inEngland and other parts of the world asCouncil or Executive Committee membersof ISHS.Don spent all his life in horticulture, start-ing as a student gardener at theCambridge Botanic Garden. His careerwas interrupted by five years in the BritishForces (1941 - 46) and resumed againwith a year spent as a student gardener atthe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Subsequently he obtained his BSc(Hort) in

1949 and MSc in 1954 from ReadingUniversity.His working career started with theColonial Service in Sierra Leone, where hewas a prime mover in developing onionsas a crop for small farmers. The experi-ence and training he received there setthe pattern for his approach to work forthe remainder of his professional life. In1962 he joined the staff of the NationalCollege of Agricultural Engineering as lec-turer in Agricultural Botany. He went onto become Head of the AgronomyDepartment and retired as Professor ofTropical Agronomy at Cranfield Universityin 1986.Whilst giving great encouragement toothers in their research and assisting in itsadministration, Don was never particular-ly active in that field. His main forte wasthe bringing together and disseminating

Prof. em. H.Don Tindall

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 35

known information and practices.Throughout his life, a particular goal wasthe improvement of crop production andliving standards for people in developingcountries. When ISHS established theCommission for Tropical and SubtropicalHorticulture in 1970 Don, with his specialstrengths and interests combined with hisearly training in Africa, was the idealchairman. Under his leadership during thenext 20 years, the Commission made apositive contribution to the developmentof horticultural research and developmentin tropical areas mainly through theorganisation of symposia.On behalf of FAO and other organisa-tions, Don Tindall spent many periods

abroad in countries such as Malaysia,Ethiopia, Kenya and Greece. His specialistknowledge resulted in his appointment asexternal examiner at Universities in manycountries including Uganda, Sierra Leoneand Ghana.He produced numerous publications forFAO and was the principal editor ofMacMillan’s series of books on TropicalAgriculture. His books are now found onshelves in many countries, not gatheringdust but well thumbed for the sound,practical information they contain.The concern and friendship that Donshowed for those he met as an under-graduate continued throughout his life.He was a superb mediator, an interceder

whose tact and diplomacy up front andbehind the scenes helped to smoothmany difficult issues at ISHS Council andExecutive meetings. He therefore wasbestowed ISHS Honorary Membership.His passing has brought a great sense ofloss to his countless friends in ISHSthroughout the world. This feeling of losswill in time be diminished by the satisfac-tion of having known such an unselfishand kindly man. Our thoughts are withhis wife Kathleen at this time.

David Robinson, ISHS Honorary Member, Ireland

CALENDAR OF ISHSEVENTSCALENDAR OF ISHS EVENTS

Calendar of EventsFor updates and more events logon to www.ishs.org/calendar. Makesure to mention your ISHS membership number or join copy of yourISHS membership card when registering. A reduced ISHS membersregistration fee applies.

Year 2003■ April 20-25, 2003, Beijing (China): IV International Symposium on

Edible Alliaceae. Info: Convener Prof. Zhu Dewei, Chinese Society forHorticultural Science, 12 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Beijing 100081,China. Phone: (86)1068919531, Fax: (86)1062174123, email:ivfcaas@public3.bta.net.cn or ivfcaas@mail.caas.net.cn web: www.ivf-caas.net.cn

■ May 5-8, 2003, Tudela, Navarra (Spain): V International Congress onArtichoke. Info: Dr. Javier Sanz Villar, Ed. El Sario. Sadar, s/n, 31006Pamplona, Spain. Phone: (34)948239200, Fax: (34)948230536, email:jsanz@itga.com web: http://www.itga.com/congreso/indice.htm

■ May 20-23, 2003, Chiang Mai (Thailand): II International Symposiumon Litchi, Longan and Related Sapindaceae. Info: Dr. SuranantSubhadrabandhu, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture,Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. Phone: (66)25790308 or25614891, Fax: (66)25791951, email: agrsns@ku.ac.th you can alsodownload the 2nd announcement here.

■ May 27-31, 2003, Seoul (Korea): ISHS Board and Executive CommitteeMeeting. Info: jozef@ishs.org

■ June 2-7, 2003, Athens (Greece): I International Conference onTurfgrass Management and Science for Sport Fields. Info: Dr. PanayiotisNektarios, Agricultural University of Athens, Department of Floricultureand Landscape Architecture, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece.Phone: (30)2105294554, Fax: (30)2105294553, email: pan@aua.grweb: www.turfgrass-conference.aua.gr

■ June 30 - July 3, 2003, Lisbon (Portugal): International Symposium onGrapevine Growing, Commerce and Research. Info: Dr. Hans-JörgBöhm, Quinta de Sao Jorge, 7050 Montemor o Novo, Portugal. Phone:(351)266899260, Fax: (351)266899261, email: plansel@mail.telepac.ptweb: www.2003portugal.com

■ July 6-9, 2003, Wageningen (Netherlands): III International Conference:An Integrated View on Fruit and Vegetable Quality - Quality in Chains.Info: Convener L.M.M. Tijskens, PO Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, TheNetherlands, Phone: (31)317475303, Fax: (31)317475347, email:l.m.m.tijskens@ato.dlo.nl web: www.ato.wageningen-ur.nl/quic/

■ July 9-12, 2003, Pisa (Italy): Symposium on Managing GreenhouseCrops in Saline Environment. Info: Prof. Tognoni or Prof. A. Pardossi,Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Viale delle Piagge n° 23,56100 Pisa, Italy. Phone: (39)050570420, Fax: (39)050570421 or(39)050945524, email: ISHS.Pisa2003@agr.unipi.it web:faeta.unipi.it/ortofloricoltura/ISHS_Pisa2003.php

■ July 21-25, 2003, Valencia (Spain): XIX International Symposium onVirus and Virus-like Diseases of Temperate Fruit Crops and XInternational Symposium on Small Fruit Virus Diseases. Info: Dr.Gerardo Llácer, IVIA, Carretera Moncade a Náquera, Km. 5.5, ApartadoOficial, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain. Phone: (34)961391000, Fax:(34)961390240, email: gllacer@ivia.es web:www.ivia.es/fv2003/fv2003.htm

■ August 10-14, 2003 Wageningen (Netherlands): QualiFlor2003, 8thInternational Symposium on Postharvest Physiology of Ornamentals.Info: Dr. U. van Meeteren, QualiFlor2003, Horticultural ProductionChains, Wageningen University, Marijkeweg 22, 6709 PG Wageningen,The Netherlands. Phone: (31)317482403, Fax: (31)317484709, email:QualiFlor2003@wur.nl web: www.dpw.wageningen-ur.nl/hpc/qual-iflor2003.htm

■ August 25-28, 2003 Potsdam (Germany): International Workshop onModels for Plant Growth and Control of Product Quality inHorticultural Production. (ISHS Working Group HE5: Modeling PlantGrowth, Environmental Control and Greenhouse Environment) Info: Dr.Matthias Fink, Institute of Vegetable & Ornamental Crops Großbeerenand Erfurt, Theodor Echtermeyer Weg 1, 14979 Großbeeren, Germany.Phone: (49)3370178355, Fax: (49)3370155391, email: fink@igzev.deweb: www.igzev.de/potsdam2003/

■ August 25-29, 2003, Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany): EUCARPIAXXI International Symposium Classical vs. Molecular Breeding ofOrnamentals. Info: Prof. Dr. Gert Forkmann, TU München,

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Zierpflanzenbau, Am Hochanger 4, 85350 Freising, Germany. Phone:(49)8161713416, Fax: (49)8161713886, email: forkmann@lzw.agrar.tu-muenchen.de

■ August 26-30, 2003, Iguazu Falls, Paraná (Brazil): V InternationalSymposium on New Floricultural Crops. Info: Dr. Fernando Tombolato,Ist. Agronomico, Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 28,13001-970 Campinas SP, Brazil, Phone: (55)1932419091, Fax:(55)1932439690, email: tombolat@iac.br web:center.barao.iac.br/cec/njb/newflowers.htm

■ September 1-5, 2003, Davis, California (USA): IV InternationalSymposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops. Info: Dr. RichardSnyder, UC Davis, 1709 Palm Place, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Phone:(1)5307524628, Fax: (1)5307521552, email: rlsnyder@ucdavis.edu,web: www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/cofred/public/

■ September 1-5, 2003, Angers (France): EUCARPIA Symposium on FruitBreeding and Genetics. Info: Dr. François Laurens, INRA Centred’Angers, BP 57, 49071 Beaucouzé Cedex, France. Phone:(33)241225760, Fax: (33)241225755, email: laurens@angers.inra.fr oreucarpia.fruits.2003@angers.inra.fr web:http://www.angers.inra.fr/eucarpia/index.html

■ September 2-4, 2003, Cameron Highlands (Malaysia): ControlledEnvironment Technology for Sustainable Agricultural Production. Info:Dr. Rezuwan Kamaruddin, MARDI (Malasian Agricultural Research andDevelopment Institute), Serdang, PO Box 12301, GPO 50774 KualaLumpu, Malaysia. Phone: (60)389437072, Fax: (60)389482961, email:rezuwan@mardi.my, web:http://www.mardi.my/ver2/sem_conf/ishs/index.html

■ October 14-18, 2003 Nauni (India): VII International Symposium onTemperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics. Info: Dr. K.K.Jindal, Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan(HP) 173230 India. Phone: (91)179252315, Fax: (91)179252030, email:kkjindal_tzfts@yahoo.com you can also download the first announce-ment here.

■ October 20-23, 2003, Chaves (Portugal): III International ChestnutSymposium. Info: Dr. Carlos Abreu, Universidade de Tras-Os-Montes eAlto Douro, Apartado 202, 5000-911 Vila Real . Phone(351)259350508 Fax: (351)259350480, email: cgabreu@utad.pt web:www.utad.pt/eventos/chestnutcongress

■ October 22-25, 2003, Albacete (Spain): I International Symposium onSaffron Biology and Biotechnology. Info: Prof. Dr. Jose A. Fernandez,Laboratorio de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Desarrollo Regional, Universityof Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete,Spain. Phone: (34)967599309, Fax: (34)967599233, email: joseanto-nio.fperez@uclm.es web: www.uclm.es/cursos/azafran

■ 2003 Antalya (Turkey): International Symposium on the InternationalCut Flower Chain. Info: Dr. Burhan Ozkan, University of Akdeniz,Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, 07059Antalya, Turkey. email: ozkan@agric.akdeniz.edu.tr

■ 2003, Davis, California (USA): International Symposium on VegetableQuality. Info: Dr. Marita I. Cantwell, Mann Laboratory, Department ofVegetable Crops, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616-8746, USA.Phone: (1)9167527305, Fax: (1)9167524554, email:micantwell@ucdavis.edu

YEAR 2004

■ February 1-6, 2004, Stellenbosch (South Africa): IX InternationalSymposium on Pear Growing. Info: Retha Venter, PO Box 5600,Helderberg, Somerset West, 7135, South Africa. Phone: (27)218554472,Fax: (27)218552722, email: reventer@netactive.co.za, web:www.pearsymposium.co.za

■ March 23-27, 2004, Orlando, FL (USA): International Symposium onProtected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates. Info: Prof. Dr. Daniel J.Cantliffe, University of Florida, IFAS, Horticultural Sciences Dept., 1251Fifield Hall, Box 110690, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690, USA. Phone:(1)3523921928x203, Fax: (1)3523926479, email: djc@mail.ifas.ufl.eduweb: conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ishs/

■ April 3-7, 2004, Melbourne (Australia): International Symposium onProtea. Info: Dr. Russel T. Dawe, PO Box 6168, Hawthorn West, VIC3122, Australia. email: innobiz@vicnet.net.au

■ April 19-22, 2004, Niigata (Japan): IX International Symposium onFlowerbulbs. Info: Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Okubo, Lab. of HorticulturalScience, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581,Japan. Phone: (81)926422827, Fax: (81)926422827, email:hokubo@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp web:http://jshs.ac.affrc.go.jp/symposium/bulb2004/index.html

■ May 3-8, 2004, Nova Oeiras and Alalá del Rio, Sevilla (Portugal andSpain): VIII International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture. Info: Dr.Luis Lopes da Fonseca, Estação Agronomica Nacional, Av.da Republicas/n, 2784-505 Nova Oeiras, Portugal. Phone: (351)214403500, Fax:(351)214411797, email: llf@mail.telepac.pt or Dr. Fernando RomeroMuñoz, Centro Las Torres Tomejil, 41200 Alcala del Rio, Sevilla, Spain.Phone: (34)955045500, Fax: (34)955045625

■ May-June 2004, Bonn (Germany): X International Symposium onTiming of Field Production in Vegetable Crops. Info: Dr. Felix Lippert,Institut für Obstbau und Gemüsebau, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel6, 53121 Bonn, Germany. Phone: (49)228735139, Fax: (49)228735764,email: lippertf@uni-bonn.de

■ June 6-11, 2004, Verona (Italy): V International PostharvestSymposium. Info: Prof. Dr. Pietro Tonutti, University of Padova,Department of Agronomy and Crop Sciences, Agripolis, Via Romea 16,35020 Legnaro (Padova), Italy. Phone: (39)0498272845, Fax:(39)0498272850, email: pietro.tonutti@unipd.it orpostharvest2004@unimi.it web: www.soihs.it/postharvest2004

■ June 7-10, 2004, Perugia (Italy): International Symposium on Nutritionand Fertilization - Toward ecologically sound fertilisation strategies infield vegetable production. Info: Prof. Francesco Tei, Dept.Agroenvir. &Crop Science, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121Perugia, Italy. Phone: (39)0755856320, Fax: (39)0755856344, email:f.tei@unipg.it

■ June 14-18, 2004, Reus (Spain): VI International Congress on Hazelnut.Info: Dr. Joan Tous or Dr. Mercè Rovira, Apartat 415, 43280 Reus(Tarragona), Spain. Phone: (34)977343252, Fax: (34)977344055, email:joan.tous@irta.es or merce.rovira@irta.es

■ June 14-19, 2004, Budapest (Hungary): VIII International Symposiumon Integrating Canopy, Rootstock and Environmental Physiology inOrchard Systems. Info: Prof. Dr. Károly Hrotkó, St. Stephen University,Buda Campus, Department of Fruit Science, 1518 Budapest, Pf. 53,Hungary. Phone: (36)13726284, Fax: (36)13726337, email:hrotko@omega.kee.hu

■ June 2004, Davis, CA (USA): VII International Symposium onGrapevine Physiology. Info: Prof. Dr. Larry Williams

■ July 5-8 2004, Campinas-São Paulo (Brazil): III International Symposiumon Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Breeding Research and II LatinAmerican Symposium on the Production of Medicinal, Aromatic andCondiments Plants. Info: Prof. Dr. Lin Chau Ming, Dept. PlantProduction, Sector Horticulture, Agronomical Sciences College, SãoPaulo State University, Botucatu-SP 18.603-970, Brazil. email:linming@fca.unesp.br

■ July 5-9, 2004, Bologna (Italy): X International Workshop on Fire Blight.Info: Prof. Carlo Bazzi, University of Bologna, Via Filoppo Re 8, 40126Bologna, Italy. Phone: (39)0512091446, Fax: (39)0512091446, email:cbazzi@agrsci.unibo.it web: www.agrsci.unibo.it/fireblight

■ August-September, 2004, Berlin (Germany): International Symposiumon Horticultural Economics and Management. Info: Prof. Dr. WolfgangBokelmann, Humboldt University, Faculty of Agriculture andHorticulture, Inst. of Economics and Social Science in Agriculture,Luisenstrasse 56, 10099 Berlin, Germany. Phone: (49)3020936136, Fax:(49)3020936236, email: w.bokelmann@agrar.hu-berlin.de

■ September 6-9, 2004, Lofthus (Norway): VIII International Symposiumon Plum and Prune Genetics, Breeding and Technology. Info: Dr. LarsSekse, Plante Forsk - Norwegian Crops Research Institute, UllensvangResearch Centre, 5781 Lofthus, Norway. Phone: (47)53671200, Fax:(47)53671201, email: lars.sekse@planteforsk.no

■ September 5-10, 2004, Brisbane (Australia): V International StrawberrySymposium. Info: Dr. Neil Greer, QLD Dept Primary Industries, PO Box5083, Sunshine Coast Mail Centre, Nambour, QLD 4560, Australia.Phone: (61)754449605, Fax: (61)754412235, email:greern@dpi.qld.gov.au

■ September 12-16, 2004, Leuven (Belgium): International SymposiumGREENSYS 2004 - Sustainable Greenhouse Systems: Co-operation of

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Engineering and Crop Science . Info: Prof. G.P.A. Bot, Wageningen-UR,PO Box 43, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Phone:(31)317476442, Fax: (31)317425670, email: info@greensys.nl, web:www.greensys2004.nl

■ September 12-17, 2004, Debrecen (Hungary): V InternationalSymposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding. Info: Dr.Miklós Fári, Szent - Gyorgyi A u. 4, PO Box 411, 2101 Godollo,Hungary. Phone: (36)28330600, Fax: (36)28330482, email: silver-centrum@axelero.hu or efari@matavnet.hu, web: www.ivchb2004.org

■ September 27 - October 2, 2004, (Turkey): V International Symposiumon Olive Growing. Info: Dr. Mucahit Taha Ozkaya, University of Ankara,Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, 06100 Ankara,Turkey. Phone: (90)5355264860, Fax: (90)3123179119, email:ozkaya@agri.ankara.edu.tr web: www.agri.ankara.edu.tr

■ September, 2004, Fortaleza (Brazil): III International Symposium onTropical and Subtropical Fruit. Info: Dr. Osvaldo K. Yamanishi, Universityof Brasilia Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, Fruit SEction,CaixaPostal 04508 - Asa Norte, 70910-970 Brasilia, DF Brazil. Phone:(55)613072997, Fax: (55)613073247, email: kiyoshi@unb.br

■ October 24-28, 2004, Daejon (Korea): IV ISHS Symposium on Brassicaand XIV Crucifer Genetics Workshop. Info: Prof. Dr. Yong Pyo Lim,Dept. of Horticulture, Chungnam National University, Kung-Dong 220,Yusong-Gu, Taejon 305-764, South Korea. Phone: (82)428215739, Fax:(82)428231382, email: yplim@cnu.ac.kr

■ November 7-14, 2004, Sorrento, Naples (Italy): V International WalnutSymposium. Info: Dr. Damiano Avanzato, MiPAF, Istituto Sperimentale

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per la Frutticoltura di Roma, Via di Fioranello 52, 00134 Roma, Italy.Phone: (39)0679348186, Fax: (39)0679340158 , email:davanzato@mclink.it or Dr. Maria-Emilia Malvolti, CNR, Istituto per laBiologia Agroambientale e Forestale, Viale Marconi, 2 05010 Porano(Terni), Italy. Phone: (39)0763374688, fax: (39)0763374330, email:mimi@ias.tr.cnr.it you can download the first announcement here.

■ November 2004, Melbourne (Australia): IX International Symposium onProcessing Tomatoes

■ 2004, Palmerston North (New Zealand): Root and Tuber CropSymposium. Info: Dr. M. Nichols, INR, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Phone: (64)63505799 ext. 2614,Fax: (64)63505679, email: m.nichols@massey.ac.nz

■ 2004, Taastrup (Denmark): VII International Symposium on Modelling inFruit Research and Orchard Management. Info: Dr. Peter Braun, RoyalVet.& Agric. Univ., Inst. Agric, Sect. Hort. KVL-T, Agrovej 10, 2630Taastrup, Denmark. Phone: (45)35283534, Fax: (45)35283478, email:pbr@kvl.dk

■ 2004, Bursa (Turkey): III Balkan Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes.Info: Dr. H. Özkan Sivritepe, Uludag Üniversity, Department ofHorticulture, 16059 Bursa, Turkey. Phone: (90)2244428970, Fax:(90)2244429098, email: ozkan@uludag.edu.tr

■ 2004, (Brazil): IV International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochenille

YEAR 2005

and onwards: see www.ishs.org/calendar

Acta Acta Title ActaNumber Price (EUR)

598 International Symposium on Sustainable Use of PlantBiodiversity to Promote New Opportunities for HorticulturalProduction Development 71

597 International Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, II 76596 VIII International Symposium on Pear 154595 International Symposium on Apple Breeding for Scab

Resistance 52594 International Symposium on Foliar Nutrition of Perennial

Fruit Plants 124593 IV International Symposium on Models for Plant Growth and

Control in Greenhouses: Modeling for the 21st Century -Agronomic and Greenhouse Crop Models 60

ACTA HORTICULTURAEACTA HORTICULTURAE

List of Acta Horticulturae numbers available

Below is the list of currently available numbers of ActaHorticulturae (print format). Should the title you are look-ing for no longer be available in print format we also offera tailor made CD-rom solution called ActaHort CD-rom.For more details on this service, or to download our ActaHorticulturae order form, please check out the ‘publica-tions’ page at www.ishs.org or go directly towww.ishs.org/acta

592 V International Peach Symposium 130

591 III International Symposium on Pistachios and Almonds 107

590 IX International Workshop on Fire Blight 95

589 X International Asparagus Symposium 79

588 II International Symposium on Cucurbits 77

587 International Symposium on Asian Pears Commemoratingthe 100th Anniversary of Nijisseiki Pear 122

586 IV International Symposium on Olive Growing 160

585 VIII International Rubus and Ribes Symposium 125

584 VI International Symposium on Computer Modelling in FruitResearch and Orchard Management 62

583 I International Conference on Sweetpotato. Food and Healthfor the Future 59

582 International Symposium on Mediterranean Horticulture:Issues and Prospects 55

581 IV International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal 73

580 IV International ISHS Symposium on Artificial Lighting 63

579 II Balkan Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes 120

578 International Symposium on Design and EnvironmentalControl of Tropical and Subtropical Greenhouses 80

577 VII International Symposium on Plum and Prune Genetics,Breeding and Pomology 80

576 International Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.Possibilities and Limitations of Medicinal and Aromatic PlantProduction in the 21st Century 76

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 37

ISHS • 38

■ ACTA 585: Eight International Rubus and Ribes Symposium,Dundee, Scotland, UK, 4-12 July, 2001. There is an evidentincreasing scientific interest in these plant genera that can only beregarded as ‘minor crops’ when compared to arable crops on aworld scale of production. In the last ten years there has been anincreasing awareness from the medical literature that there arevaluable nutritional components in these berries, e.g. antioxidants.Therefore a whole session was devoted to this aspect of berry pro-duction and plant chemistry. Another feature of this symposiumwas the increase in the use of molecular biology, particularly asapplied to evolutionary relationships in Rubus and the use ofmarker-assisted breeding. This area of work is particularly impor-tant at a time when new sources of Ribes and Rubus germplasmfrom countries such as Chile, China, Russia and Latvia are beingbrought into breeding programmes. New relationships betweenthese nations were forged during the symposium giving perspec-tives in major improvements in yield traits, winter-hardiness andpest and disease resistance in the future. This Acta issue consists of115 articles in two volumes. The first volume represents the widerange of relevant topics in breeding and genetics as well as inpathology. The papers for fruit quality and nutritional aspects andagronomy are gathered in the second volume. ISSN 0567-7572,ISBN 90 6605 995 8; Price for non-members of ISHS for Volume1 and 2: 125 EUR.

Acta Horticulturae Reviews

■ ACTA 586: Fourth International Symposium on Olive Growing,Valenzano, Italy, 25-30 September, 2000. Olives and olive oil playan increasingly important nutritional role in Mediterranean coun-tries and are an essential part of what is now widely known as the“Mediterranean diet”. Italy is the second world’s olive oil produc-er with still 42% small, on average one hectare farms while only20% of the farms have orchards not exceeding five hectares. Mostof the small farms need to be modernized. In this scenario, one ofthe most important goals is the reduction of prime cost, as in theother olive-growing countries, to ensure greater returns to thegrower. The two volumes containing 202 articles of this Acta issueprovide progresses the science of olive growing has made duringthe last years. Several papers are presented for genetic improve-ment, crop management and technology as well as for biologyand physiology, plant protection and propagation. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 290 6605 756 4; Price for non-members of ISHS forVolume 1 and 2: 160 EUR.

■ ACTA 587: International Symposium on Asian Pears,Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of ‘Nijisseiki’ Pear,Kurayoshi, Tottori, Japan, 25-29 August, 2001. Recently, Asianpears have been introduced into Europe, North and South Americaand Oceania, and are being accepted as a new type of fruit. There,

ACTA HORTICULTURAE REVIEWSACTA HORTICULTURAE REVIEWS

575 International Symposium on Tropical and Subtropical Fruits 150574 VII International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture 82573 International Symposium on Techniques to Control Salination

for Horticultural Productivity 92572 XX International Eucarpia Symposium Section Ornamentals -

Strategies for New Ornamentals II 55571 Workshop Towards Ecologically Sound Fertilisation in Field

Vegetable Production 61570 VIII International Symposium on Flowerbulbs 87569 I Latin-American Symposium on the Production of Medicinal,

Aromatic and Condiments Plants 72568 X International Symposium on Virus Diseases of Ornamental

Plants 62567 IV International Strawberry Symposium 142566 International Symposium on Applications of Modelling as an

Innovative Technology in the Agri-Food-Chain - Model-IT 93565 VI International Symposium on Temperate Fruit Growing in

the Tropics and Subtropics 46564 IV International Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous

Fruit Crops 82563 International Conference on Environmental Problems

Associated with Nitrogen Fertilisation of Field GrownVegetable Crops 59

562 III International Symposium on Sensors in Horticulture 77561 VIII International Pollination Symposium - Pollination:

Integrator of Crops and Native Plant Systems 69560 IV International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and

Horticultural Breeding 96

559 V International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in MildWinter Climates: Current Trends for Suistainable Technologies 123

558 I International Symposium on Litchi and Longan 79557 VI International Symposium on Orchard and Plantation

Systems 84556 V International Congress on Hazelnut 96555 II International Symposium on Edible Alliaceae 62554 World Congress on Soilless Culture: Agriculture in the Coming

Millenium 68553 IV International Conference on Postharvest Science 123552 XX International EUCARPIA Symposium, Section

Ornamentals, Strategies for New Ornamentals 53551 IX International Symposium on Small Fruit Virus Diseases 43550 XVIII International Symposium on Virus and Virus-like

Diseases of Temperate Fruit Crops - Top Fruit Diseases 86549 International Symposium on Composting of Organic Matter 47548 International Symposium on Growing Media and

Hydroponics 108547 III International Symposium on Rose Research and Cultivation 75546 International Symposium on Molecular Markers for

Characterizing Genotypes and Identifying Cultivars inHorticulture 105

545 V International Protea Research Symposium 62544 IV International Walnut Symposium 100542 VII International Symposium on the Processing Tomato 73For more titles logon to: www.actahort.org

CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE • 39

Asian pears are sometimes called apple-pears. This situation is theother way around that apples had been accepted as similar fruit toJapanese pear in Japan because these two fruits mature on thetree and are eaten directly after picking. Therefore, Asian pear hasa potential to be accepted easily and distributed widely in theapple-cultural areas in the world. Particularly important is the factthat ‘Nijisseiki’ pear plays a major role in the breeding programsnot only in Japan but in China and Korea and quite a few new cul-tivars released from these countries contain germplasm from it.Therefore, it is very appropriate that the symposium was heldcommemorating the 100th anniversary of this most importantNashi cultivar throughout most of the last century. Its productivityand excellent quality led to an increase in Asian pear consumptionin many countries and important export markets were developed.Although several international symposia have been held on pearsin general, mainly on European pears, this was the first interna-tional symposium specializing in Asian pears which include morethan ten species. Thus, this Acta issue covers almost all aspects ofAsian pears in 92 articles. The first volume presents topics such asrecent development and future trend of Asian pears in the world,genetics and breeding as well as new cultivars and germplasm.The second volume gathers papers about physiology includingdormancy, incompatibility, growth, development and postharvestalong with papers about cultural practice and disease and pests.ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 766 1; Price for non-members ofISHS for Volume 1 and 2: 122 EUR.

■ ACTA 588: Second International Symposium on Cucurbits,Tsukuba, Japan, 28 September - 1 October, 2001. The Far East isone of the most important cucurbit growing regions in the world.Nevertheless only few Asian scientists had the opportunity toattend the cucurbit meetings in Europe or United States. Thereforeit was very significant to hold this symposium worldwide. In thisActa environmental physiology, plant protection and disease-resistance, genetics and breeding, biotechnology and postharvestof different type of cucurbits are presented in 61 articles, to anincreased number dealing molecular studies. ISSN 0567-7572,ISBN 90 6605 776 9; Price for non-members of ISHS: 77 EUR.

■ ACTA 589: Tenth International Asparagus Symposium, Niigata,Japan, 30 August - 2 September, 2001. Asparagus productionareas in various countries are continually changing due to changesin the economic conditions in the producing and consumingnations. The largest increases in asparagus production in the lastten years has occurred in countries in the Southern Hemisphereand China, and in countries with low labour rates where they canproduce spears relatively cheaply and / or market their productionduring a higher priced market window in another country or hemi-sphere. In this Acta the latest worldwide research results of aspara-gus in agronomy, production systems, cultivar evaluation, geneticsand breeding, physiology and biochemistry as well as postharvestand pathology are presented in 55 papers. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN90 6605 796 3; Price for non-members of ISHS: 79 EUR.

■ ACTA 590: Ninth International Workshop on Fire Blight, Napier,New Zealand, 8-12 October, 2001. There were severe fire blightoutbreaks on apple, pear and ornamental plants in many differentparts of the world in the year 2000. The challenge to manage thisdisease effectively at local and international levels still continues.Risk assessment studies addressing the importation of apples andpears into fire blight free countries have gained importance.Studying fire blight biology as separate phases has resulted in bet-ter understanding of its epidemiology, and the understanding ofthe interactions among those phases will lead to new knowledge

on this very complicated disease. In 77 articles, this Acta issuegives a good overview of the vast progress which has been madeon plant breeding, biotechnology, molecular biology and integrat-ed disease management of fire blight in the last years. Also thepresent worldwide spread of the disease and its impact on eco-nomics was presented in this workshop. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 906605 806 4; Price for non-members of ISHS: 95 EUR.

■ ACTA 591: Third International Symposium on Pistachios andAlmonds, Zaragona, Spain, 20-24 May, 2001. Almonds have beenconsidered as the most relevant fruit nut in the world. It is themost extended nut in the Mediterranean area as well as in UnitedStates. It has been the reference price for other nuts especiallywith the increase of industrialisation processes. On the other hand,pistachios have been traditionally concentrated in Iran followed byUSA and Turkey. They are expanding all over the world and theyare considered as a new crop, in many countries, where other nutshave been cultivated along the centuries. The internationalisationoccurring nowadays has changed this view. The world marketdoes not make such precise differentiations. Those crops areexpanding in other areas and more and more often in the non-processed consumption and processed markets both nuts areintermingled. This Acta issue is covering the following topics in 93articles: rootstocks, economics and industry, almond self compati-bility, breeding and genetics, nutrition, physiology, cultivar evalu-ation and orchard management as well as pathology. ThisSymposium, which was under the auspices of ISHS, was also thetwelfth Colloquium of GREMPA (Group de Recherches et d’ÉtudesMéditerranéen pour le Pistachier et l’Amandier) promoting collab-oration between researchers from the different traditionally pro-ductive countries in the Mediterranean Basin. ISSN 0567-7572,ISBN 90 6605 816 1; Price for non-members of ISHS: 107 EUR.

■ ACTA 592: Fifth International Peach Symposium, Davis,California, USA, 8-11 July, 2001. The 102 papers in this Acta issueare divided into two volumes. The first volume represents the widerange of relevant topics in peach breeding, genetics and biotech-nology as well as in orchard management. The second gathers thearticles of tree fruit physiology, postharvest technology and pestmanagement. Research results in the mentioned areas are focusedmostly on peach and its wild species, but some results to otherstone fruits like nectarine, cherry and plum are also presented.ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 836 6; Price for non-members ofISHS for Volume 1 and 2: 130 EUR.

■ ACTA 593: Fourth International Symposium on Models for PlantGrowth and Control in Greenhouses: Modeling for the 21stCentury - Agronomic and Greenhouse Crop Models, Beltsville,Maryland, USA, 25-29 March, 2001. This symposium was heldjointly by the two groups: the Biological Systems Simulation Group(BSSG) and ISHS working group “Plant Growth, EnvironmentalControl and Greenhouse Environment”. The former consist of USscientists (mostly agronomists) who typically work on modelsrelated to biological and agricultural systems, while the latter typ-ically focuses on greenhouse crops. This Acta issue comprises 31articles focused on basic aspects of crop model development aswell as creation and dissemination of applications. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 846 3; Price for non-members of ISHS: 60EUR.

■ ACTA 594: International Symposium on Foliar Nutrition ofPerennial Fruit Plants, Meran, Italy, 11-15 September, 2001.Foliar fertilization has become a widespread management tool in

ISHS • 40

important fruit growing areas, often as complementary practice tosoil nutrition supply and sometimes even as an alternative to thelatter. The manufacturers of foliar fertilizers have been rapidlyexpanding the list of compounds available to growers, who haveoften been advised to apply a number of products over the sea-son. Often there was no scientific rationale behind the suggestionsfor foliar fertilizer applications and at the same time this technique,if properly applied, had an interesting and partially unexploitedpotential for manipulating yield and fruit quality, with relativelylow costs and low environmental impact. This symposium wasbringing foliar fertilization to the fore as a science-based tech-nique. It gathered evenly researchers, extension officers from pub-lic and private services, and representatives of the world’s mainfertilizer companies to discuss the many aspects related to foliarnutrition. This Acta volume comprising 93 articles and subjectindex offers an information pool for making the best use of thefoliar fertilization, no longer viewed as merely the fertilizer treat-ment of last resort, while avoiding unnecessary applications ofuseless or pollutant chemicals. Major topics in this Acta are: phys-iological aspects of foliar nutrition, foliar application of nutrients toalleviate or prevent mineral deficiencies; legislation and qualityaspects of foliar fertilisers, foliar application of products other thanmineral nutrients, leaf analysis as a diagnostic tool for foliar fertil-izer recommendations, effect of foliar fertilizers on fruit qualitywith special emphasis on calcium, application techniques and for-mulations as well as foliar nutrition for sustainable fruit production.ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 826 9; Price for non-members ofISHS: 124 EUR.

■ ACTA 595: International Symposium on Apple Breeding for ScabResistance, Trento, Italy, 14-16 September, 2000. Apple scab isthe single most destructive disease of the cultivated apple in allhumid production areas of the world. Control requires a continu-ous cover of fungicides which is a significant part of the cost ofproduction. Furthermore, many scab fungicides have become inef-fective due to resistance of the organism. Heightened concernsover residues and environmental effects associated with pesticideshave contributed to the search for alternate methods of diseasecontrol. The symposium was the opportunity to highlight a differ-ent approach to apple scab concerning both the sources of resist-ance to the disease and the different control methods for applescab by the use of resistant cultivars. The strategy must be contin-uously renewed according to the new scientific discoveries, and tothe knowledge of the natural development of new races of thepathogen to harmful forms. It is a battle against the time, that canbe won only through a precise and strong change: probably thebest way will be a double approach that will involve breeding forhighly tolerant plants, pyramiding a wide pool of genes that couldinsure protection to the pathogen, and the use of products able toprevent the sprouting of spores in order to decrease their out-growth. Topics like genetics, breeding, pathology, scab manage-ment and crop production are presented in the 21 articles of thisActa issue. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 856 0; Price for non-members of ISHS: 52 EUR.

■ ACTA 596: Eighth International Symposium on Pear, Ferrara -Bologna Italy, 4-9 September, 2000. World pear production hasincreased rapidly over the last decade due to increases in Chinabut it has been stable in Southern Europe, and Oceania, and it isdecreasing in Eastern and Central Europe. Forecasts anticipateworld production to continue to increase on balance but resultswill be mixed in different areas. It is imperative to rapidly lay thegroundwork for an international pear industry that is backed by anarticulated and broad-based research system linked to extensionservices. This symposium provided an excellent example andopportunity of cooperation and interfacing of the ISHS and its sci-

entists with grower and nursery associations, marketers and pub-lic agencies. This Acta issue consists of 158 articles divided ineleven sessions in two volumes. The overview of the internationalpear industry provides clear evidence that competition exist onmany fronts and in many forms. The long term survival of the pearindustry worldwide will require solutions to many pressing pro-duction problems and the ability of pears to continue to competewith other fruits in the marketplace. Advances in breeding, cropregulation and protection, improvement of fruit quality, and fruithandling and storage technology reported at this symposium illus-trate the central role that research can play in this game of sur-vival. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 866 8; Price for non-mem-bers of ISHS for Volume 1 and 2: 154 EUR.

■ ACTA 597: International Conference on Medical and AromaticPlants. Possibilities and Limitations of Medicinal and AromaticPlant Production in the 21st Century, Part II, (follow up of Acta576), Budapest, Hungary, 8-11 July, 2001. Medicinal and aro-matic plants have been increasing in importance to society contin-uously for the past 100 years. International trends projected to the21st century indicate agricultural products having medical, healthprotection, nutraceutical, or other positive effects on life willincrease in value in both an absolute and relative sense. The aver-age annual volume of medicinal and aromatic plants utilised in EUcountries (calculated on the basis of import figures), for instance,has increased by 21 percent since 1992, meaning that more than100 thousand tonnes of drugs with 330 million USD are used intraditional or processed forms. Medicinal and aromatic plants,especially for self-consumption have been grown in of Hungaryfor many centuries. The intensified production of these species,however, began in the first years of the 20th century. In spite ofadministrative, political, and economical contradictions existing inthe former political systems, the production, processing, and tradeof medicinal and aromatic plants became a successful sector ofHungarian agriculture. The globalised, international co-operationexhibited in this Conference support the concept of the medicinaland aromatic plant sector continuing to develop and to play animportant roll in the future on both national and international lev-els. This volume of Acta is Part II of the Proceeding of theConference and comprises 47 articles. It covers the research resultsof medical and aromatic plants in phytochemistry, phytotherapyand biotechnology achieved in the past few years. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 866 2; Price for non-members of ISHS: 76EUR.

■ ACTA 598: International Symposium on Sustainable Use of PlantBiodiversity to Promote New Opportunities for HorticulturalProduction Development, Antalya, Turkey, 6-9 November, 2001.Horticultural crops are accepted as essential elements to maintainquality of life. The diversity in horticultural genetic resources canbe a tool to create an added value from both scientific and mar-keting points of view. This symposium aimed to be a forum for dis-cussions on sustainable use of genetic diversity to promote world-wide horticultural production. The 42 articles of this Acta issuecontain the research results presented in the sessions of collectionconservation and evaluation, utilisation, diversity characterizationand local genetic resources. ISSN 0567-7572, ISBN 90 6605 896X; Price for non-members of ISHS: 71 EUR.