Nigel Hardwick & Maria Lodovica Gullino 
Knowledge and Technology Transfer for Plant Pathology 

This book contains fuller versions of the papers and posters presented in the Knowledge and Technology Transfer and Teaching Plant Pathology sessions at the 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology held in Turin, Italy in 2008. Communication is an essential area for plant pathologists and it is not just the publication of results in the scientific press that is important. In a world where there is a major shortage of food and where a significant amount of it is destroyed by pests and diseases before it ever reaches the consumer, it is important to provide support to those who produce the food in order to reduce the losses. Reducing crop losses not only has an impact on health, but also wealth and, therefore, the ability to survive. With an ever-increasing demand on food supplies due to increases in population, and changes in life-style associated with rising incomes in certain parts of the world, plant pathologists have a pivotal role to play in contributing to global food security. Aspects of crop protection have lost favour with the general public because of concerns about environmental pollution and genetic modification of crops. This has had a ‘knock on’ effect in the recruitment and training of crop protectionist in g- eral and a concomitant impact on courses available at universities. However, it has never been more important to train people with good communication skills and an ability to solve problems to tackle the complexities of pathogen and plant interactions.

Table of Content

Plant Healthcare for Poor Farmers Around the World: Gathering Demand and Innovative Responses.- Participatory Approaches and Plant Diseases in Less Developed Countries.- Technology Adoption: Classroom in the Cocoa Block.- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (So TL) Projects in Plant Pathology.- Technology Transfer in Extension: Experience in the United States of America.- Diagnostic Networks for Plant Biosecurity.- Plant Clinics and Phytopathology Training.- Training in Plant Pathology from an Industry Perspective.- Sustainable Crop Protection and Environment Protection: Eight Years of Technology Transfer Between China and Italy.

About the author

Dr Hardwick gained a Ph D from Imperial College, London. He worked for government as an advisory plant pathologist and researcher on diseases of arable crop plants in Zambia and the UK. He’s a past president of the British Society for Plant Pathology. Maria Lodovica Gullino is a professor of plant pathology at the University of Torino and President of the International Society for Plant Pathology. She has long term experience in plant disease management.