Australasian Association of Nematologists
Association News
From the President
The item of greatest interest to members since the last newsletter may be the number of new members: more than 10 in the last year. The range of interests and geographic locations, from Fiji to PNG to the USA, and all over Australia show the range of interest in nematodes in the region. This augurs well for the society. I trust that Takaniko Ruabete, our member from Fiji, who is located just outside Suva, is safe and well amid the developments there.
On the international scene, preparations are continuing for the Fourth International Congress of Nematology. As Julie Stanton has indicated in an earlier newsletter, AAN is periodically contacted for input for things like sessions for the programme, input of funds, and other things. Having dealt with the issues of funds at the General meeting, if members have any burning issues which they feel should be included in the programme, they can submit them directly to the organizers Thierry Vrain (vraint@em.agr.ca) or Ken Barker (kenneth_barker@ncsu.edu), or through the societies officers.
For those not contemplating attending the international congress, the biennial APPS conference is always a good meeting, and one of only a few opportunities for many of Australia’s far-flung nematologists to meet in person. The conference is only a little over a year away now, and the first circular is out, so planning can start now. Any ideas or burning issues that you think should be discussed will be included in the programme if they are sent to me or any other committee members soon. This can be either in the general sessions or the specific nematology workshop. Otherwise, there has been little activity of interest to members since the last newsletter. I can only assume that people are busy collecting data and ideas for next years meeting.
Although much has been written elsewhere, it remains for me to formally express the condolences from the AAN on the death of Alan Bird. All nematologists will be greatly saddened by this sudden event. Alan was an inspirational nematologist for many years, and was still very active, even in retirement. Alan’s many achievements are listed elsewhere in this issue, and his contributions to the forerunner of the AAN should also be gratefully acknowledged. Alan’s wise and kindly counsel will be greatly missed. On behalf of the Association, I extend the sincerest sympathy to Jean, David and the rest of his family.
Mike Hodda
Obituary
Dr Alan Francis Bird
Alan Bird was an international authority in parasitology. Although he specialized in plant parasitic nematodes, his interests were much wider. In his early years at the University of Edinburgh he gave practical classes in helminthology and entomology and lectures on helminthology and nematode physiology. Alan always retained a great respect for the Zoology Dept in Edinburgh and so it is fitting that his PhD (1956) and DSc (1973) were conferred by that University.
Alan joined CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) in 1957 and after a year at Merbein in Victoria, spent the rest of his career in Adelaide. During the ’60s and ’70s he delivered some lectures to second and third year Zoology students, giving courses in Parasitology at the University of Adelaide. Alan rose to the top research position of Chief Research Scientist in CSIRO.
Following the visit of Dr Wim Seinhorst to Australia in the early ’50s, CSIRO accepted the recommendation that research into nematology should be initiated. Alan Bird was one of those early workers who helped to put Australia and Adelaide on the "nematology map". He was, in fact, the first of the post-war Australian nematologists to go abroad for training.
Alan’s primary interests were in nematode physiology and morphology. His many publications on nematode ultrastructure reveal several facets of his approach to science – meticulous care, ability to cooperate with other scientists, a wide international involvement and a concern to apply his basic research to practical problems such as biological control of plant nematodes.
He published a book, various papers and book chapters with his wife, Jean Bird who gave him a great deal of support and encouragement. This collaborative work is particularly evident in a chapter on Functional Organization in the book "The Physiology and Biochemistry of Free-living and Plant-parasitic Nematodes" published in 1998.
In December 1997, Alan was made an Honorary Member of the Helminthological Society of Washington. He was only the third Australian parasitologist to receive this award. He had previously been made a Fellow of the Society of Nematologists (1983), and of the Australian Society for Parasitology (1993). He was awarded the Sir Joseph Verco Medal of the Royal Society of South Australia in 1991 and made an Honorary Fellow of that Society in 1999.
In 1981 Alan initiated, and edited for some years, the Australian Nematology Newsletter, thereby promoting communication between nematologists, a sentiment which he always espoused.
At the time of his death, he was an Honorary Research Fellow in CSIRO and was actively engaged in the study of the nematodes of the lakes and rivers in the southern States of Australia. In a recent paper (1999) delivered to the Royal Society of South Australia he made a plea for greater recognition of the importance of nematodes and other small invertebrates in ecology. A sentiment that other nematologists will surely endorse.
Alan Bird was an active man, a Rugby Union enthusiast – he played scrum-half in his early years and he also played a good game of squash! As well as his loyalty to Edinburgh, he had a deep devotion to Ireland where he went to school. However, his loyalty to Australia never wavered when it came to International sport!
Alan is survived by his wife Jean, daughter Mary, son David and three grandchildren.
By E/Prof. H. R. Wallace
IMPROVING OUR NEMATODE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES
Most AAN members received a copy of ‘Advisory Services for Nematode Pests: Operational Guidelines’, after it was published last year by RIRDC. Since the booklet was published, I have been asked by some diagnostic services whether it was possible to check their proficiency with regard to identification and enumeration of nematodes. One way of doing this would be to compare the results obtained by various laboratories on a single set of samples. Similar comparative exercises have been carried out for chemical laboratories in Australia (see Rayment et al. 1998, Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 38, 777-784)
If there is sufficient interest, I am prepared to coordinate such an exercise for nematology laboratories. It would be carried out as follows:
- I would collect soil samples from 10 different agricultural or horticultural situations. Each sample would be mixed thoroughly and then divided so that a sub-sample could be sent to each participating laboratory.
- Once the samples are ready (sometime in August or September this year), I would dispatch them via overnight air express to each laboratory.
- Laboratories would process them using their standard techniques and send me the results.
- I would collate the results and forward them to participating laboratories, which would be identified only by a code number.
The main value of this exercise is that participants would be able to compare their results with those of others. If the results proved useful and there was a continuing demand for such a service, AAN could possibly expand it into a more formal quality assurance program in future.
If you wish to participate in the initial exercise, please contact me by email (biolcrop@powerup.com.au), or telephone (0412 083 489) before 28 July. Because of the costs involved, there will be a charge of $220 per participating laboratory. Laboratories will be invoiced at the time samples are sent to them.
Graham Stirling, Biological Crop Protection Pty. Ltd., Brisbane
Welcome to a New AAN Member
Since our last newsletter we welcome one new member:
Md. Motiul Quader (University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA)
Useful Web Site
Here is a new web site address that may be of interest to some. The IFNS has a new list server but not many subscribers as yet and virtually no traffic.
http://www.ifns.org/
APPS 2001 Nematology Workshop Update
The 13th biennial Australasian Plant Pathology Association conference is being held in Cairns between September 25 and 28, 2001. As part of the conference, AAN will be holding a workshop on Monday, September 24 at the Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture which is a little more than an hour south of Cairns. It is proposed to have a nematode ecology workshop being led by Dr. Gregor Yeates from Landcare Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand. At this stage it is proposed to have an introduction into some of the nematode ecology terms and indicators, followed by a practical session looking at the nematode ecology in some tropical cropping practices.
As an optional extra it is proposed to have a survey of marine nematodes on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, September 23. The additional day will go ahead depending on interest and costs. The marine nematode survey will add a bit more to the cost of the workshop but will be an ideal opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Mission Beach area for people who do not often get to tropical Queensland.
Further updates on the nematology workshop will be in later newsletters outlining costs and times.
Tony Pattison, QDPI, Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture, South Johnstone
