2º Congreso Argentino De Fitopatología Libro de Resúmenes

2 º Congreso Argentino de Fitopatología
National Plant Diagnostic Network (Stack et al., 2006), which is a
three-tiered network of diagnostic laboratories at the state, regional
and national levels. Most of the diagnostic laboratories are operated by
plant pathologists in Land Grant Universities in each state. Members
conduct pathogen surveillance activities, train first responders and
develop and utilize standard operating procedures (SOPs) for important
invasive and endemic pathogens. In Europe, NPPOs network with one
another through the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection
Organization (EPPO). The International Plant Protection Convention
(IPPC), a function of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the United Nations, governs official international actions to limit the
movement of plant pathogens. The 170 countries that have adopted
the IPPC (http://www.fao.org/Legal/TREATIES/004s-e.htm), form a de
facto network under the umbrella of the IPPC Secretariat and operating
under international standards for phytosanitary measures. The costs
of plant safeguarding activities such as pathogen surveillance are
high (Anon, 2008), and many developing countries limit their trade
opportunities due to their inability of provide accurate lists of pathogens
and pests within their borders.
The second major function of diagnostics is to provide accurate
information to guide disease management decision-making. Deploying
an effective integrated pest management (IPM) program requires first the
accurate and timely identification of the disease causal agent. Effective
use of IPM can result in substantial benefits, including economic and
environmental gains due to higher yield and quality of product and
reduced use of pesticides. Community-based IPM programs require
surveillance of target pathogens through a network of professionals
on alert for entry of the pathogen. For example, soybean rust, caused
by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is monitored throughout US soybean
production areas though a series of sentinel plots (rust-susceptible
soybean cultivars) that are scouted routinely and scouting reports
made available to the community through a public web portal, the
IPM Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (ipmPIPE;
http://sbr.ipmpipe.org/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi). Although soybean rust
has yet to cause significant losses in the United States, despite its
devastating impact in Brazil, for example, the ipmPIPE network saved
US soybean growers $millions in unnecessary fungicide applications
(Roberts et al., 2006). There are currently six ipmPIPE networks in the
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