Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Introduction. Steven Slack provided an overview of the current status of the NC 504. Secretary election. Dr. Glen Hartman was elected as secretary of NC 504 Committee. Old business. Minutes of the February 2003 meeting were approved. Accomplishment included: soybean rust extension publications, extension meetings included St. Louis meeting with the American Soybean Association in January 2004. Discussion of future committee activities. Risk communication was discussed in terms of how to put survey results through the NPDN web site. Dr. Jim Steadman made comments on importance of surveying possible presences of soybean rust in Caribbean Islands in collaboration with local plant pathologists. Caribbean Islands is a possible pathway. The existing network has been established and surveys can be carried out with low cost. The risk of introducing SBR through seed importation from South America was discussed. It was considered that the risk is minimum with the latest information from the visit of Dr. A. Tschanz from Brazil. Information from this visit was presented by Dr. Matt Royer of APHIS. Surveys outside the US also were discussed. A subcommittee of Monte Miles, XB Yang, and John Rupe with Ray Schneider and Don Hershman as reviewers were to define protocols for surveys of different purposes. Motion was made and passed that the subcommittee would have something back to the group on protocols for surveys. A motion was passed for another subcommittee (Anne Dorrance, Mary Draper, Albert Tenuta, and Loren Giesler) to developing scouting cards. Dr. Slack, administration advisor, provided future options to the committee. These included: 1) To write a new proposal for establishment of a new NCR committee; 2) To renew the current committee for another year with a proposal to be submitted no later than September 1, 2004. Proposal for a new soybean rust committee was discussed. Committee unanimously passed to establish a rewrite committee. Objectives for the new committee were discussed and established. 1) To coordinate activities for early detection survey such as development of survey procedures. 2) To conduct risk communication; 3) to develop recommendations for SBR management for the US soybean production region. Next meeting location was discussed. Porto Rico was suggested for potential meeting location as this island may be a potential area for soybean rust over-wintering. Dr. Ray Schneider moved to thank Dr. M. Bonde, Dr. R. Frederick, and their staff for their excellent efforts in preparation of this meeting. He commented that the hand-on session in containment facility has put our committee members several years ahead of others in terms of disease identification and management. Committee Chair, X.B. Yang was to write the letter. Resolution was passed unanimously. Additional Notes from the previous day activities prior to the business meeting April 13 Dr. Yang, Chair of NC 504, called meeting to order at 8:30 am and made introduction. Dr. Bonde and Dr. Frederick made an introduction to the facility of USDA-ARS-Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU) and provided details for the visit of Level 3 Plant Pathogen Containment Facility. Participants were divided into two groups for the visit of the Containment Facility. Group 1 moved to Building 374 (Biosafety Level 3 Plant Pathogen Containment Facility) to learn first hand experience of soybean rust. Group two stayed for discussion and entered Containment Facility after completion of Group Ones visit. Discussion session was made for both groups. Following presentations were made: 1) Mary Palm, USDA-APHIS, on rust biology; 2) Dr. Matt Royer, USDA-APHIS on APHIS preparation of soybean rust entry; 3) Dr. Reid Frederick, USDA-ARS, on soybean rust research in FDWSRU; 4) Dr. XB Yang, on soybean rust epidemiology and risk assessment update; 5) Dr. Kent Smith, USDA-ARS, on management plan of soybean rust. The following people participated in this days events. Participaent: Erik Stromberg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Laura E Sweets, University of Missouri; Anne Dorrance, Ohio State Univ.; Carl Bradley, North Dakota State University; Bret Cooper, Soybean Genomics & Improvement Lab USDA-ARS; Jim Kurle, University of Minnesota; Greg Shaner, Purdue University, Anette Phibbs, Wisconsin Dept of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Don Hershman, University of Kentucky; Martin Draper, South Dakota State Univ; John Rupe, University of Arkansas; Steve Slack (advisor), Ohio State University; R W Schneider, Louisiana State University; Kimberly Campbell Cooper's soybean lab, USDA-ARS; Jim Steadman, University of Nebraska, Kent Smith, USDA-ARS-OPMP, Seogchan Kang, Penn State University; Marcial Pastor-Corrales, Vegetable Lab, USDA- ARS; Cathie Aime, Systematic Botany & Mycology Lab, USDA-ARS; Glen Hartman, USDA, University of Illinois; Monte Miles, USDA, University of Illinois; X.B. Yang, Iowa State University; Albert Tenuta, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food; Ian MacLatchy, Plant Health Risk Assessment, Canadian Food Inspection Agency; Matt Royer, USDA APHIS; Mary Palm, USDA-ARS; Arnold Tschanz, USDA APHIS; Morris Bonde, Ft. Detrick Host, USDA-ARS; Reid Frederick, Ft. Detrick, USDA-ARS