More than 270 scientists from 33 countries attended the 6th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria in College Park, Maryland, June 2-7, 1985. The Conference was jOintly sponsored by the International Society of Plant Pathology, Bacteria Section and by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service. The Conference provided an opportunity for the presentation and discussion of recent developments in phytobacteriology. The Conference was organized into five symposia, seven discussion sessions, contributed papers and poster presentations. More than 230 contributions were presented under the following topics: ice nucleating bacteria; detection, identification, nomenclature and taxonomy of phytopathogenic bacteria; applications and impact of new biotechnologies on phytobacteriology; bacterial phytotoxins; diagnostic phytobacteriology; management of bacterial plant diseases; and molecular biology, genetics and ecology, epidemiology of phytopathogenic bacteria. In addition, special sessions focused on Agrobacterium, Erwinia, Psedomonas and fastidious prokaryotes. This reflected the broad spectrum of current research activity in phytobacteriology. Furthermore, interest in this series of conferences clearly continues to increase. Key research scientists who are currently making major advances in phytobacteriology participated in the Symposia and Discussions. One of the most significant recent changes that has occurred in the field of plant pathology generally is the dynamic growth of research in which recombinant DNA technology is being applied in basic studies on bacterial plant pathogens. Results from investigations on the crown gall bacterium have stimulated expansion of research on other bacterial systems.

This volume mainly reports on new and recent advancements on different aspects of Pseudomonas syringae, a plant pathogenic bacterial species that include a high number of pathogens of important crops, which is an interesting model organism in plant pathology. In addition some related fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., responsible of new and emerging diseases, as well as some pathogens previously included in the above genus and now classified in the genera Ralstonia, Acidovorax are also considered. The tremendous recent advancements on: the ecology and epidemiology and, in particular, the adaptation of P. syringae to stresses and adverse environmental conditions; the function and regulation of genes involved in the production of phytotoxins and on their mechanism of action in the interaction with the host cells; the structure, function and regulation of type three secretion system (TTSS) and the transport of the effectors proteins in the host cells; the possibility to control diseases through the induction of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR); the development of molecular techniques for the highly specific and sensible identification and detection of pathogens; the determination of the causal agents of new and emerging diseases as well the classification of the different pathovars of P. syringae; are reported in 76 chapters cured by leading scientist in the respective fields.

More than 270 scientists from 33 countries attended the 6th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria in College Park, Maryland, June 2-7, 1985. The Conference was jOintly sponsored by the International Society of Plant Pathology, Bacteria Section and by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service. The Conference provided an opportunity for the presentation and discussion of recent developments in phytobacteriology. The Conference was organized into five symposia, seven discussion sessions, contributed papers and poster presentations. More than 230 contributions were presented under the following topics: ice nucleating bacteria; detection, identification, nomenclature and taxonomy of phytopathogenic bacteria; applications and impact of new biotechnologies on phytobacteriology; bacterial phytotoxins; diagnostic phytobacteriology; management of bacterial plant diseases; and molecular biology, genetics and ecology, epidemiology of phytopathogenic bacteria. In addition, special sessions focused on Agrobacterium, Erwinia, Psedomonas and fastidious prokaryotes. This reflected the broad spectrum of current research activity in phytobacteriology. Furthermore, interest in this series of conferences clearly continues to increase. Key research scientists who are currently making major advances in phytobacteriology participated in the Symposia and Discussions. One of the most significant recent changes that has occurred in the field of plant pathology generally is the dynamic growth of research in which recombinant DNA technology is being applied in basic studies on bacterial plant pathogens. Results from investigations on the crown gall bacterium have stimulated expansion of research on other bacterial systems.