XXIII ALAP´08 Congress

Precongress activity:

Balcarce (Argentina) : Workshop on stability analysis and environment definition models based in GIS (in Spanish), November 27-29 th at Balcarce INTA-FCA Exp.Sta. The general objective is to train breeders in the use of stability analysis models coupled with GIS in order to predict new areas for selecting varieties.

Uruguay: November 28-30 th. For those of you that may want to visit the potato business in Uruguay, a pre-congress program has been prepared by Miguel Sarries, please contact him at msarries@st.com.uy

 

The XXIII ALAP´08 Congress will be held in Mar del Plata city, Argentina from November 30th to December 6th of 2008 among the events that will take place during 2008, declared by the United Nations "International Potato Year". Its main objective is to highlight the importance of potato as a crop and as food product, placing emphasis on its biological and nutritional attributes, and promoting in this way its production, elaboration, consumption and commercialization .(www.potato2008.org)

The objectives of XXIII ALAP´08 Congress are:

  • To spread current research knowledge and technological innovations

  • To integrate different levels of official and private activities related to the product, from the point of view of its demand as food.

  • To establish commercial bonds and combined projects between companies and institutions

  • To strengthen the concept of rational and integrated handling, keeping in mind the health of the product taking into account that it is foodstuff.

  • To promote a rational and careful handling of the environment.

  • To promote the work between professional groups and growers (Discussion Workshops and drawing of conclusions)

    • To design projects and establish recommendations for the follow-up of conclusions.

    Within the Congress several topics such as plant protection and control of pests and diseases, integrated management, phytopathology, physiology, fertilization, breeding and genetic resources, biotechnology, seed production, economy and commercialization, quality and processing will be developed.

    Within the frame of the XXIII ALAP´08 Congress, the VI Latin American Seminar of Potato Use and Commercialization will take place and will include meetings with discussions aimed to the analysis of tradeoffs.

    In the framework of the congress three symposia related to the Integrated Management of insect pests, Potato Nematodes, Potato Late blight will take place together with the III Symposium of Latin American Solanaceae Network (Lat-SOL) (http://cnia.inta.gov.ar/lat-sol), that will have the participation of prestigious international researchers.

    One of the distinctive characteristics of this XXIII ALAP´08 Congress is the emphasis in the culinary aspects of the potato, with the setting up of a gastronomic event of high level with the participation of Latin American and European "chefs".

    Two days of field and a commercial exhibitions, will show the advances in technology available to the growers.

    The congress will have simultaneous translations (Spanish-English) of Oral Communications and Keynote Conferences.

    Congress supported by FAO in the International Year of the Potato