Manitoba Regional Group

Regional Representative:
Dr. Fouad Daayf
Professor, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB

Contact: Fouad.Daayf@umanitoba.ca

Report on the 2023 Manitoba CPS Regional Meeting

The 2023 Manitoba Regional Meeting of the Canadian Phytopathological Society was held on December 13th at the University of Manitoba (Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences). This meeting was attended by 42 people. Registration with coffee and muffins started at 9:00am.
After Dr. Fouad Daayf (Manitoba regional chair for CPS) welcomed the participants, there were three technical sessions:

Student Presentations (chaired by Dr. M. Sayari):
Multi-trait phenome assessment: high-dimensional time-series remote-sensing interpretation via observable unsupervised learning. S. HOLDEN, B. J. CASSONE, & J. R. TUCKER.
In vitro-assembled CRISPR-dual Cas9 ribonucleoprotein system for targeted gene deletion in Fusarium graminearum. A.U. JAYATHISSA, T. SHARMA, W. G. D. FERNANDO, M.G. BAKKER, & M.C. LOEWEN.
The evolutionary dynamics of azole resistance in Fusarium graminearum. K. WOG, M.G. BAKKER, & A.C. GERSTEIN.
Response of soil fungal communities associated with different soil fractions to tillage practices and crop rotation. M. MOHAMMADIANI, M.G. BAKKER, S. CRITTENDEN
Variation in the activity of feruloyl esterase from Fusarium graminearum on cinnamic acid ester derivatives. R. NELSON, G. MITCHELL-LAWSON, N. MELNICHUK, A.U. JAYATHISSA, & M.G. BAKKER.
A peep into the bacterial endophytes of barley under fusarium head blight disease. W.M.V.C. WEERASINGHE, J. R. TUCKER, A. BADEA, W.G.D. FERNANDO & C. WIJEKOON
Protecting Brassica napus against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection using a foliar application of boron. NATALIE L. CALE & MARK F. BELMONTE
Student Presentations (chaired by Dr. M. Sayari):
Ascospore and pycnidiospore: which is the culprit for blackleg disease in Canada? S. HUANG, G. PENG, & W.G.D. FERNANDO
Understanding the interaction between blackleg resistance and verticillium stripe disease in canola. C.N. BVINDI, A. DOLATABADIAN, & W.G.D. FERNANDO
Hemoglobin Controls Defensive Responses in Flooding Conditions. M. ELSHETEHY, C. STASOLLA, & F. DAAYF
The effect of R gene rotation against Blackleg in Canola on disease severity. M. A. JAYAWARDANA, Z. ZOU, & W.G.D. FERNANDO
Other members’ afternoon presentations (chaired by Dr. F. Daayf):
Differential Gene Expression in Tolerant and Susceptible Corn Lines in response to Goss’s Wilt. M. SAYARI, M. ELSHETEHY, S.V. GOOD, A. SOLIMAN, A. KHEIRODIN & F. DAAYF
Phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacteria from canola and soybean against Fusarium head blight of wheat and Verticillium stripe of canola. W.K.G.M.C. DAYARATHNE & W.G.D. FERNANDO
Field sensitivity of potato varieties to Potato Mop Top Virus in Manitoba. V. BISHT, X. NIE, AND M. WRIGHT
Multispectral aerial imagery to determine seed germination rate in soybean field. M. Madani, Y. Long, A. Kirk, A. Kirk, P. Westdal, C. Buino
New finding of Cactodera cyst nematodes in agricultural fields of southern Manitoba. M. MADANI, M. TENUTA & P. CASTILLO

The results of the student presentations’ awards were as follows: Mehrdad Mohammadiani (1st place), Natalie L. Cale (2nd place), and V. Weerasinghe (3rd place). The business meeting followed at 2:30pm.

Business meeting
Dr. Daayf thanked the members who stayed for the business meeting and approved the minutes of the 2022 meeting (Fernando/Fetch). Members discussed possibilities for next year’s annual regional meeting, but no decision was made. Dr. Fernando informed the present members that Plant Canada 2024 will be held in Winnipeg at the Convention Centre on July 24th. Dr. Daayf presented a financial update for the CPS-MB regional section and thanked Ms. Puneet Rehal and Drs. Sayari and El-Shetehy for helping with this year’s local arrangements. The meeting was adjourned at 3:45pm.
Respectfully submitted, Dr. Fouad Daayf, CPS-MB Regional Representative