Acta Horticulturae

strategies could be determined and implemented,
was also stressed.
Other papers dealt with other pests such as the
lesser date moth, subterranean termites, the
parasitoid Bracon Hebetor, and the set of
insects that cause slow growing. Several papers
also dealt with date palm diseases, mainly bayoud,
neck bending, low growing, wilt and dry
disorders.
Participants also focused on the various aspects
of the date trade and marketing, fruit artificial
ripening, new means and methods in date palm
cultivation, including nurturing and harvesting
fruits at various stages of ripening, and new
date-based products and by-products.
Mechanization in date palm cultivation was also
a focal point. This included the latest techniques
in pollination and harvesting and post-harvesting
operations as well as during the storage
stage. The introduction of new techniques
(such as the vacuum and modified atmosphere
packaging) has prolonged the shelf-life of dates
and date-based products. It has also reduced
weight-loss while maintaining the properties of
the fruits.
Scientists, researchers and engineers who participated
in the Third International Date Palm
Conference paid tribute to the comprehensive
development drive witnessed by the United
Arab Emirates under the prudent leadership of
HH the President, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-
Nahayan, and his brothers Their Highnesses
Members of the Supreme Council, Rulers of the
Emirates.
They also hailed the tremendous progress in the
field of agriculture, particularly the date palm
sector that is given particular attention at official
and popular levels, a fact testified by holding
the Conference under the patronage of
HH the President.
Concluding 3-day proceedings, the UAE
University in collaboration with the Ministry of
VIPs and conference’s participants at the opening ceremony of the Third International Date
Palm Conference. Note the presence of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan,
accompanied by several GCC Ministers of Agriculture.
Environment and Water aimed at doubling
efforts with regard to the entire date palm
industry so that productivity may meet the everincreasing
demand on dates and date products.
The Conference proposed the establishment of
an Award to be named after HH the President
for the best research in the field of date palm.
The intensification of cooperation in scientific
research between the bodies concerned with
the date palm industry, and the effective
exchange of information and expertise through
gatherings such as the International Date Palm
Conference series were also recommended.
The Conference further recommended launching
awareness campaigns to propagate the
tissue culture and genetic engineering technologies
in the date palm area. It, however, called
for fresh studies and research aimed at making
these accessible to date palm growers everywhere
and at reasonable cost.
The Conference also recommended the issuance
of a refereed journal specializing in date
palm to facilitate the publication, and hence
dissemination of research findings.
CONTACT
A. Zaid
Prof. Dr. A. Zaid, Date Palm Research &
Development Programme, United Nations
Office for Project Services - UNOPS, UAE
University, P.O. Box 81908, Al Ain, United Arab
Emirates, email: zaid@uaeu.ac.ae
Section Vine and Berry Fruits
Ninth Int’l Rubus and Ribes Symposium
Between November 30th and December 7th
2005 the “9th International Rubus and Ribes
Symposium” was in Chile for the first time. It
was organized by the Facultad de Agronomía e
Ingeniería Forestal of the Pontificia Universidad
Catolica de Chile, with the great help and support
of the local berry industry (Hortifrut and
Vitalberry Marketing). The symposium was divided
in two: a pre-conference tour and the meeting
itself. The scientific part of the meeting
took place in Pucon, a town located 850 km
south of Santiago, overlooked by Mount
Villarrica, one of the largest volcanoes in Chile.
The pre-conference tour started north of
Santiago in Nogales, and ended up in Osorno,
1000 kms to the South.
We had 160 participants from twenty-nine different
countries that gave 46 oral and 65 poster
presentations. These were divided into the most
recent advances in Rubus and Ribes Breeding
and Genetics, Physiology and Cultural Practices,
Pest and Disease and Post Harvest and
Nutritional Aspects.
The pre-conference tour was attended by 124
participants who traveled more than 1200 km
in 4 days in 3 large buses. We visited raspberry,
blackberry and Ribes fields along our narrow
and long country. The participants were able to
Adam Dale, Chair of the ISHS Working Group
on Rubus and Ribes Species, Guillermo
Donoso, Dean of the Agronomy Faculty of
the Catholic University, the host institution
and Pilar Bañados, Convener.
CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE •VOL 46 • NUMBER 3 • 2006 • 43