Proceedings of the IUFRO WP 07.02.13 and 07.02.03 joint meeting: Novel and classical strategies to manage forest health in plantations

Working Party 7.02.13 Forest Health in Southern Hemisphere Commercial Plantations was established during the IUFRO World Congress in 2014, and we will have the second meeting of the Working Group in 2023. We aim to improve the management of forest health issues through increased international contact and collaboration. The working group focuses on forest health issues that affect commercial forest plantations in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly on eucalypts, pines, and acacia. However, researchers who work with forest health in similar plantations in the Northern Hemisphere are encouraged to join and share their results and contributions. 

Working Party 7.02.03 on Vascular Wilt Diseases was reactivated in 2019 following an increase in the number of reports of new vascular wilt diseases emerging on forest trees (natural and planted), and causing severe impacts globally. Recent examples include rapid 'Ōhi'a death caused by Ceratocystis species in Hawaii. Laurel wilt, plane tree canker stain disease and oak wilt are spreading, threatening their hosts' natural ranges. Bacterial wilts of forest trees are still an underestimated problem, e.g. Ralstonia solanacearum s.l. causing wilt in Eucalyptus. On the brighter side, breeding programs in Europe and North America have led to the selection and release of several new elm cultivars with high resistance to Dutch elm disease. In this meeting we hope to enhance knowledge exchange and foster collaborations with researchers working with these groups of pathogens and their insect associates. 

Our meeting will have three days of talks and one day of field visits. Mato Grosso do Sul has the second largest forest plantations area in Brazil and several challenges with pests and diseases and their management, which allows for opportunities for field visits. Campo Grande was chosen as meeting venue due to be the state capital with almost 1 million inhabitants and has good hotel infrastructure for accommodation for all budgets, restaurants, and airport with connection flights to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.