Articles
TREE FRUIT VIRUS DISEASES – WHERE ARE WE HEADING?
I shall therefore take this opportunity to make a major contribution to our future health.
Thirty-eight years ago, our founding fathers and mothers got together for the first time, very informally, in Switzerland, to exchange information about the then quite new field of tree fruit virus diseases.
Later discussions took place in the shade of sharka-infected Yugoslavian plum trees or under the blazing sun of Bordeaux.
The new field of tree fruit virus research seemed simple and unified.
Fascinating results were reported by several groups, even though the emerging art of serology was viewed with suspicion, and discussions centered on topics like the natural of raspless raspleaf.
We have come a long way since.
Over the years, our style and direction have changed.
We have abandoned the "old boys" and "old girls" system, have lost some of the original unity, have moved into air conditioned meeting rooms and have become a modern wide open populist group, part of the ISHS. We probably are less swinging, more serious and better organized than ever before.
Our techniques for virus detection and identification have made several quantum leaps, and many of our group members have been at the forefront of these developments.
The list of titles submitted for this meeting is a lively testimony of the continuing rapid development of still better techniques.
Yet there is a flip side to this trend.
As George Nyland put it once: "Tree fruit virus research is no longer fun.
We know so much that there is no room left for really good discussions.
I shall retire!"
So where are we heading? Do we have a vision, a sense of direction, anything beyond or besides even better and more sensitive, more specialized techniques? I think we need a vision, a sense of direction.
If we do not have it yet, or not anymore, maybe this should be our next major topic for swinging discussions!