The first international Cereal Cyst Nematode Initiative Conference took place in Antalya, Turkey, during 21-23 October 2009. The cereal cyst nematode has been gaining recognition in global wheat production areas, particularly rainfed ones, where it has caused yield losses of 20-50% in many countries. The conference drew more than 60 participants from 20 countries and there were more than 45 presentations on the status of the pest and on integrated control methods, with emphasis on host plant resistance.
The conference was coordinated by CIMMYT nematologists Julie Nicol and Amer Dababat of CIMMYT-Turkey as part of the ICARDA-CIMMYT Wheat Improvement Program (ICWIP) and with funding from CIMMYT, the CGIAR Systemwide Program on Integrated Pest Management (Sp-IPM), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the ATSE Crawford Fund, Australia, and Syngenta. A 260 page proceedings was published and distributed. For further information, contact Julie Nicol (j.nicol@cgiar.org).
