Special Issue "Fusiform Rust Disease—Biology and Management of Resistance"

Guest Editor
Dr. C. Dana Nelson
Southern Institute of Forest Genetics, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 23332 Success Road, Saucier, MS 39574-9344, USA
Website: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/staff/286
E-Mail: dananelson@fs.fed.us
Phone: +1 228 832 2747
Fax: +1 228 832 0130
Interests: forest genetics; tree breeding; biotechnology

Guest Editor
Dr. John M. Davis
365 Newins-Ziegler Hall, School of Forest Resources & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Website: http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/forestgenomics/davislab.shtml
E-Mail: jmdavis@ufl.edu
Phone: +1 352 846 0879
Interests: functional genomics; tree physiology; disease resistance; biotechnology

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Steven E. McKeand
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University, Campus Box 8002, Raleigh, NC 27695-8002, USA
Website: http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/direct/mckeand.php
E-Mail: Steve_McKeand@ncsu.edu
Phone: +1 919 515 3168
Interests: tree breeding; wood properties; ecophysiology; seed orchards; clonal propagation

Dear Colleagues,

This is a Special Issue of Forests coinciding with an Information Exchange Group (IEG-40) Workshop, “Integrating Biological Research and Fusiform Rust Resistance Screening and Breeding“, 14–15 June 2012, Resistance Screening Center, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Asheville, NC, USA.

New knowledge is being generated by sequencing of pathogen and host genomes, and the genome sequences of both Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme (Cqf) and Pinus taeda L. are on the near horizon. This workshop is for pathologists, geneticists, breeders and growers to “roll up our sleeves” and discuss options of how fusiform rust screening and breeding for resistance can be performed in the future. What have we learned in the past 50 years? What aspects of screening are working well and should not be changed? What can be done better given current knowledge about the genetic architecture of rust resistance? Given the knowledge gaps that need to be filled, how and when will the key experiments be performed to fill gaps, improve screening, and accelerate breeding for resistance, while ensuring its durability? Papers for the special issue are requested of all invited speakers and others who can enrich the knowledge base for this important forest disease. Particular areas of interest include the following:

(1) Taxonomy, Population Biology and Genome Biology of Fusiform Rust

• genetic diversity and structure in Cqf
• geographic variation in Cqf and collection zones for screening
• pathogenicity and forma specialis in Cqf
• concepts and nomenclature – effectors, virulence, avirulence
• Cqf Genome Project

• dissecting interactions within fusiform rust disease
• screening with bulks vs. isolates – strengths and weaknesses
• experiences from broad-scale field trials of rust resistance
• host range of the pathogen, both pines and oaks
• non-host and quantitative factors in fusiform rust resistance

(3) Breeding for Fusiform Rust Resistance

• molecular diversity and function of rust resistance genes
• managing populations for durable rust resistance
• pyramiding genes in pine populations and implications for durability
• using markers in breeding to identify and select for resistance
• contemporary perspectives on predicting resistance and modeling durability/co-evolution

Dr. C. Dana Nelson
Dr. John M. Davis
Dr. Steven E. McKeand
Guest Editors

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 300 CHF (Swiss Francs). English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

• fusiform rust fungus
• loblolly pine
• slash pine
• genetic variation
• host-pathogen interaction
• virulence
• avirulence
• durable resistance
• molecular screening
• molecular breeding