University Events Calendar
September, 2012

Date/Time: Friday, 25 September 2009, 10:00 am
Location: Plant Research Centre Auditorium, Waite Campus
Cost: FREE

School of Agriculture, Food & Wine Named Lecture Series: The Robert Symons Lecture 2009

Speaker: Professor Turner B. Sutton, North Carolina State University (USA)

Many temperate fruit crops are now grown in the warmer temperate and subtropical regions of the world. These regions are warmer, and in many cases wetter than traditional production regions. In the warmer temperate and subtropical regions, the disease complex tends to be much more diverse and many diseases are more severe than in temperate regions. Downy mildew and bitter rot of grapes and Glomerella leaf spot of apples will be used to illustrate differences in their epidemiology between regions and how it affects the management strategies used. Professor Sutton will discuss the relative importance of disease management strategies and how disease management varies among moist cool temperate, moist warm temperate, dry temperate and subtropical regions. Professor Sutton has been invited to deliver this lecture in recognition of his contribution to plant pathology.

The 2^nd Bob Symons lecture is named in honour of the former Emeritus Professor in Plant Science at the Waite. Professor Symons had a long and distinguished career with the University of Adelaide, joining the University in 1962. The main research by Professor Symons between 1962 and 1990 in the Department of Biochemistry focused upon understanding the structure and function of viral nucleic acids in relation to infectivity and the development of plant disease. However, he also contributed significantly to the understanding of protein synthesis and ribozyme activity. Professor Symons was also responsible for commercial applications of his research leading to the establishment of the first Australian company to produce and market molecular biological for research. In 1991, Professor Symons moved his research to the Waite Campus where he focused upon viral diseases of grapevine and established Waite Diagnostics which still provides a service to grape growers in the diagnosis and control of grapevine pathogens. He retired in 2002 due to ill health and passed away in October 2006.

Contact: Dr Amanda Able (email), School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Business: +61 8 8303 7245