Insights: The First International Whitefly Symposium

摘要

The First International Whitefly Symposium was held in 20-24 of May 2013 in Kolympari Crete, Greece. The symposium was organized by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization-'Demeter' under the auspice of Hellenic Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food. Although this was a new series of scientific meetings, it has a long history since the International Whitefly Symposium resulted out of the merge of the International Bemisia Workshop (IBWS) and the European Whitefly Symposium (EWS), both events with long and successful course in whitefly research. The First International Whitefly Symposium exceeded expectations both in terms of scientific contributions as well as participations. The symposium hosted more than 180 participants, including participants from academia, industry, public institutions, authorities and other organisations. The global representation of the whitefly scientific community was also remarkable, since the registered participants originated from 33 different countries. Several colleagues from Africa, who attended the Symposium, were supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which recognized the importance of the subject and generously sponsored their travel fellowships. During the Symposium 69 oral contributions and 101 posters were presented in total, allocated in 8 different sessions. Emphasis was given on issues related to systematics, evolution and invasion biology and their implications in diverse aspects such as research, agriculture, biosecurity and economy.