7. The Vice-chairperson of the Working Party, Mr. Sasa Orlovic detailed preparations for a standard questionnaire to be sent to member States of the IPC regarding genetic resources tree breeding and pollen collections of Poplars and Willows and how these are applied in cultivation of these species. It was proposed that the results of this inventory will be presented at the Twenty-second Session of the IPC, 2004. Another activity in association with the Working Party on Poplar and Willow Diseases was the revision of the FAO publication “Breeding Poplars for Disease Resistance (1985) to incorporate information on new techniques and to enlarge the scope to include developing countries that are now important growers of Poplars. The document will initially be published on the IPC website although it is hoped it will be published in hard copy in due course. This activity will be completed in 2002/03.
8. The Chairperson of the Working Party, Ms. Sylvie Augustin, supported by Mr John Charles, Vice-chairperson outlined the initiative underway to update the French version of the Insects of Poplars and Willows, prepared by Mr Ludovic Nef (currently on the IPC website in French). The publication will be reviewed initially as an e-book, provide inputs to an e-catalogue (ECOPORT), cut as a CD, published as a working paper and possibly incorporated as a chapter in a new version of the Poplars and Willows book. The Working Party would hold a meeting at FAO, 3 September, 2002 to confirm their programme of work (2002-2004) and to explore ways to integrate their work with programmes and mechanisms of FAO. Meetings with FAO personnel responsible for entomology, integrated pest management, ECOPORT and the IPC Secretariat were confirmed to assist in this process. It was proposed to link time-bound tasks with focal persons responsible for delivery of their outputs for further dissemination through major outreach systems in FAO, including links to publications, databases and websites.
9. The Chairperson of the Working Party Mr Theo Verwijst outlined that the Working Party had primarily been active in conducting technical discussions and preparing papers on topical issues. A Technical session and field excursions had been held in the United Kingdom on phyto-remediation applications of Poplars and Willows. An unprecedented demand for support to applications of Poplars and Willows in soil protection, conservation and phyto-remediation warranted a re-evaluation of how to service this priority need. Another priority need identified was to provide the link between research and application and integration of outputs into the forestry industry, a significant component of which was private enterprise. A meeting of the Working Party had been held during the IUFRO sponsored, International Poplar Symposium, Uppsala, Sweden, August 2002 to consider future activities, particularly use of vegetation filters to counteract environmental problems. A field trip was conducted to Enöping to view bioenergy and phytoremediation applications of Salicaceae.
10. The Chairperson of the Sub-committee on Registration, Mr Stefano Bisoffi outlined that the IPC, through the subcommittee, is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Poplars, and under consideration for Willows. Standard procedures for an electronic register were established which will be posted on the IPC website in the coming months. In 2001 six hundred copies of an IPC CD was prepared and distributed by FAO to a wide audience, including IPC member States, institutions and experts. The CD contained the international Register of Poplar and Willow Experts; and the Register of Poplar Cultivars.
11. The IPC, through the Subcommittee on Nomenclature and Registration is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Poplars. The IPC is also under consideration as the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Willows. Standard procedures, documentation, guidelines and an electronic register have been established for Poplars. It is anticipated that a sub-group would manage the Willows register. Concern was expressed at the lack of compliance with registration, particularly by National Poplar Commissions, national institutions and other stakeholders. The Secretary of the IPC was requested to remind member countries of the IPC once more of the responsibility of the IPC for the registration of poplar cultivars, of the presence of the International Catalogue, and of the procedures for registration of poplar cultivars. Each member country should be requested to designate a national correspondent to liaise with national authorities responsible for the control of forest reproductive material.
12. Activities for the future include a live link through the IPC website and FAO FORICLE database on the Register of Poplar and Willow Experts; and the Register of Poplar Cultivars to effectively allow real time update. Establishment of a network and database of what living collections of Poplar and Willow cultivars exist, where they are located, and who is responsible for their management. Close links with EUFORGEN and IPGRI were noted as important.
