The Science of Selection:Potato Breeding Methodology for the 21st Century

The deadline for abstract submissions for presentations has been extended to Thursday 31^st August, 2006.

Organisers

Local Organising Committee: Dan Milbourne, Denis Griffin, Leslie Dowley

Scientific Programme Committee: Dr. John Bradshaw (Chairman, Eucarpia Potato Section), Dr. Herman van Eck (Chairman, EAPR Breeding and Varietal Assessment), Dr. Dan Milbourne, Denis Griffin

Theme of the meeting

The theme of the meeting is ‘The Science of Selection: Potato Breeding Methodology for the 21^st century’. As potato breeders and geneticists, we live in a time of rapid change, particularly with respect to advances in science and technology. Trials of the first transgenic potato varieties are taking place in Europe. The potato genome is about to be sequenced. Breeders are actually beginning use to MAS in breeding programmes. Dominant major resistance genes CAN confer broad spectrum disease resistance. We are developing a greater understanding of the genetics, biochemistry and physiology of complex traits. We are beginning to understand what pathogens do to plants, and what plants do to pathogens (and themselves) in response. We know that the climate we have now may not be the climate we have in twenty years.

All of this begs many questions: How will these advances in knowledge change the way in which potato breeding is practiced over the next decade, or even the next century? How can we actually incorporate these advances into potato breeding programmes for the best effect? Which strategies are suitable for which situations?

We would like you to come to this meeting, and tell us what you are currently doing in the area of potato breeding, genetics and related areas. If you are a breeder, tell us about your breeding programme; if you are a molecular biologist, tell us about your favourite genes; if you are a pathologist, tell us about your favourite pathogen. However, when you are giving your oral presentation or discussing your poster, we would ask you to spend a little time outlining how your work will impact the future shape of potato breeding, or conversely, what you think the future needs of potato breeding are. In this way, the natural interests of the members of the two sections and other meeting participants will dictate how the theme is addressed.

Outline of the Conference Programme

The meeting will take place over two and a half days, on Monday 20^th, Tuesday 21^st and a half day on Wednesday 22^nd. The programme will include a trip to Oak Park Research Centre, which is only two minutes from the conference venue. It is envisaged that the majority of delegates will arrive in Carlow on the evening of Sunday 19^th, and a welcome reception will take place at the conference hotel on this evening.

Registration and Abstract Submission

The registration form is now available for download. The form is in MS Word format, and we would appreciate it if you could fill it out electronically, and email it to the conference email address at the bottom of the page. The registration fee is €200, and this will cover all conference materials, the welcome reception, lunches and breaks, and the conference dinner. If you wish to submit an abstract, please remember to include it as a separate MS Word document, following the instructions for authors provided on the registration form.
Download registration form in Word format (100 KB)

The registrations deadlines are:

31^st August, 2006 if you wish to submit an abstract

31^st of August if you do not wish to submit an abstract

Travel Arrangements – How to get to Carlow

Carlow lies in the heart of the sunny southeast of Ireland. Carlow town, the county capital, is approximately a 90 minute drive from Dublin Airport, Dublin Ferryport, Rosslare Ferryport, Dun Laoghaire Ferryport and Shannon Airport. Cork Airport and Ferryport are approximately a 2½ - 3 hour journey, while Belfast airports and Larne Ferryport are a 4 hour drive.

Dublin airport is the most likely point of arrival for delegates to the Potato Breeding Conference and Carlow is well serviced with public transport links from Dublin.

A bus service operates directly from Dublin airport to Carlow town between 10.30 am - 8.00 pm (http://www.jjkavanagh.ie ). Outside these times bus and train services operate from Dublin city centre (which is connected to the airport by bus) to Carlow.

Rail link: http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/timetables.asp

Bus links: http://www.jjkavanagh.ie
http://www.buseireann.ie/

The Conference venue (Seven Oaks Hotel) is a 20 minute walk from the bus stop and a five minute walk from the train station. Taxis are available in Carlow.