I (Dr Karen Kirkby) received an invitation from Dr Jason Woodward from Texas Tech University and Dr Terry Wheeler from Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center at Lubbock to visit the laboratories at the Lubbock Center and visit production fields throughout the High Plains as well as to learn their isolation techniques used to quantify Verticillium dahliae from soil following the APS Meeting in San Antonio. This travel would allow Dr Kirkby to attend and present (should her abstract be selected), the APS Annual Meeting in San Antonio from the 5th-9th August followed by a two week visit in Lubbock between 10th and 26th August, 2017. 

The meeting titled Changing landscapes of Plant Pathology will hold field trips, APS Connects – Networking events as well as workshops. The workshop titled Morphological ID of phytopathogenic fungi held on Saturday 5th 9am – 4pm is particularly relevant along with the special session on the re-emergence of bacterial blight. 

My abstract submission titled “Genetic and morphological characterisation of Verticillium dahliae collected from cotton crops throughout NSW, Australia” has been submitted. Presenting this research to an international audience will be used to demonstrate the difference characteristics of Australian Verticillium dahliae isolates in comparison to those published in literature to date.  It will also outline the successful international collaboration between NSW DPI and Spanish collaborators.  Attending the workshop titled “Morphological ID of Phytopathogenic fungi” will provide the opportunity increase diagnostic skills and learn techniques used to identify pathogens of interest using morphological characteristics. 

Extending the trip to include a two week visit with Dr Jason Woodward and Dr Terry Wheeler will have direct benefits to my current research project “Managing Verticillium risk for Cotton”.  Both Jason and Terry developed the risk matrix for Verticillium and inoculum levels currently used in the USA.  The opportunity to work with these researchers will enhance my understanding and skills surrounding the development of a similar risk matrix for Australian cotton industry and these relationships will remain invaluable progressing forward.