The Global Initiative on Late Blight (GILB) is very pleased to present its fourth Annual Report. This year we are focusing on the outcomes of the GILB’02 Conference Late Blight: Managing the Global Threat held 11–13 July 2002 in Hamburg, Germany as a satellite meeting of the European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) 2002 Triennial Conference. 189 participants from 47 countries and five continents met to exchange knowledge on late blight research, identify collaborators, and discuss the future role for GILB. Participants insisted that GILB should step-up efforts to bridge the knowledge and information gap between rich and poor countries. Specific needs that GILB will address or continue to address were identified. These needs include information on resistant cultivars, seed production technology, pathogen biology and population structure, epidemiology and management, training opportunities, availability of expertise, and the global and regional importance of late blight. Regional development needs include communication and organization in regions, proposal development and support for securing funding. There are seven regional groups—Africa, Central America (including Mexico), East and Southeast Asia and Australia, Europe and East Europe, South and West Asia, South America, and North America (Canada and USA). Participants overwhelmingly endorsed that the next GILB international conference be held in 2004 or 2005 in Asia or Africa. Planning will begin in 2003. GILB has been invited to participate in the next World Potato Conference, which will be an excellent opportunity for GILB to gain momentum in its role of bringing together those working to control the potato late blight disease.

Bud Platt                                               

GILB Steering                                              

Committee Chairman                                

Greg Forbes

GILB

Coordinator

Annual Report 2002 (pdf)

The Global Initiative on Late Blight

Annual Report 2002