Workshops for the harmonisation of CPVO resistance tests
In the framework of the Harmores 3 project (a 3 year project co-funded by the CPVO and coordinated by GEVES) for the harmonisation of the official CPVO protocols for resistance tests, a workshop on melon/Podosphaera xanthii (Px) was held by GEVES in Angers in May 2017. 17 national examination offices and ESA representatives from four European countries participated. During this day, different inoculation methods were compared on a panel made up of varieties with different levels of resistance.
A harmonised notation scale was established at the end of the workshop. Three levels of resistance were defined: susceptible, intermediate resistant and resistant. All symptoms observed for interpretations were reported.
This first workshop was followed by two others held in November 2017 by Bayer and Vilmorin Mikado respectively for melon/Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race 1.2 and tomato/Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici races 0 and 1. They resulted in a common decision for the selection of reference material (strains and controls) and the protocol (inoculation method, notation scale and decision rule).
Following these workshops, comparative tests will be organised to validate the selected reference material (strains and controls) and the protocol (inoculation method, notation scale and decision rule). This project follows two first Harmores projects, which resulted in 13 updated robust protocols published by the CPVO.
