June 1997, Volume 18 No. 2

Announcements

The 21st International Congress of Entomology

This will be held at Iguassu Falls, Brazil on 20-26 August 2000. Information can be obtained by contacting D. L. Gazzoni (e-mail: francovi@sercomtel.com.br) or visiting their Internet Homepage at:

http://www.embrapa.br/ice

Tree Pest Management Network for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa

This network, set up at a workshop held in Kenya in October 1996, aims to promote effective collaboration and consultation between institutions in the region, so to improve their impact on the problems and challenges posed by tree pests and to contribute to reducing the damage they cause. The Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) is the coordinating secretariat with IIBC providing technical and information support. Through the Network, programmes will be able to exchange information, improve the availability of key resources, improve pest management systems, recom-mend appropriate policies and actions, and promote collaborative activities in tree pest management.

Senior representatives of six African countries (Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar) together with representatives of the CAB INTERNATIONAL Regional Office for Africa, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), the University of the Free State and the Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), South Africa, Kenyatta University, Kenya, and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Participants at the workshop agreed the following immediate priorities: the national and regional distribution of biocontrol agents of major forest pests, the need for further research and implementation of host tree resistance for control of cypress aphid and leucaena psyllid, the evaluation of impact of biocontrol, the development of IPM tactics for new emerging pests of agroforestry trees including pest risk analysis, and training and information supply.

For more information contact: Mr Linus Mwangi, Executive Secretary, Tree Pest Management Network for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, PO Box 20412, Nairobi, Kenya.
Fax: +154 32844;

Phone: +154 32891/2.

Who's Who in Risk Assessment

A biocontrol group at EMBRAPA-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Avaliacao de Impacto Ambiental na Agricultura (CNPMA) based at Jaguariuna in Brazil and led by Nilce Chaves Gattaz is developing a database of `Who is Who in Risk Assessment of Biocontrol Agents' to consolidate information on the who-where-what of research in biocontrol, and to facilitate communication, consultancy and other interactions between people around the world. The database currently contains some 340 profiles of researchers and laboratories working in this field, with an emphasis on studies and tests related to ecotoxicology, epizootiology, ecology, biosafety, legislation, and field release of biocontrol agents. The information from the database is available. It can be accessed through the biocontrol discussion list BIOCONTROL-I (which has some 400 subscribers), and on the Internet at: http://www.bdt.org.br/bdt/biocontrol

Anyone interested in registering with this project is asked either to send for a form or send the following information to Dr Gattaz at EMBRAPA/CNMPA, Area de Informacio, Caixa Postal 69, 13820-000, Jaguariuna SP, Brazil.
Fax: (019) 867-5225.

E-mail: ainfo@cnpma.embrapa.br

Name, address, phone/fax/telex/email numbers;

Main activities: research, planning, consultancy, legislation, education, production, other (specify);

Research area: agriculture, ecology, sanitation, weed sciences, statistics/mathematics, livestock, ecotoxicology, microbiology, entomology, socio-economics, veterinary, information, biotechnology, phytopathology, biosafety, other (specify);

Biological control agents: specify by name - insect, virus, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, others;

Ecotoxicological tests - non-target organisms (specify laboratory or field): avian, plants, mammals, fresh- or sea-water fish, aquatic or terrestrial invertebrates, microorganisms, others (specify);

Epizootiology of biological control agents (laboratory or field) dissemina-tion, genetic stability, survival, multiplication, other (specify)

Habitat: crop, forest, pasture, aquatic environment, urban, other (specify);

Description of on-going research work.

Nilce Gattaz says that they are particularly interested in hearing from people doing research on the environmental impact of biocontrol agents. Suggestions for improvements to the database are also welcomed.

Pest Management Course

An international short course on beneficial organisms in pest manage-ment systems is being run at The Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Pest Management (CTPM) in Brisbane, Australia from 17 to 28 November 1997 by the University of Queensland, Queensland Departments of Natural Resources and Primary Industries, and CSIRO Division of Entomology. The course will be run in English. It aims to provide participants with an understanding of the theory and value of beneficial organisms in pest management, and skills in their integration into an overall management strategy. It is anticipated that the course will benefit scientists, extension specialists and others who wish to expand their knowledge of biological control in pest management strategies. Funding from CTPM is not available, but applicants should approach likely funding agencies through the nearest Australian Embassy or High Commis-sion.

For further information contact: Lynne Grbin, Course Coordinator, Level 5 Gehrmann Laboratories, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.

Tel: +61 7 3365 1874;
Fax: +61 7 3365 1855;
E-mail: L.Grbin@ctpm.uq.edu.au

Mite Group for Southern Africa

Acarologists of the arachnological unit of the Biosystematics Division of the Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), South Africa plan to form a mite working group in southern Africa. The aims of the group would be to promote the development of acarology in southern Africa and to encourage communication and cooperation among acarologists in the region.

For further information or to register interest contact: Biosystematics: Mite Working Group, Plant Protection Research Institute, Private Bag X134, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa.
Fax +012 323 5272;

E-mail: PPRICC@PLANT4.AGRIC.ZA or PPRIEAU@PLANT4.AGRIC.ZA