Report First Annual Meeting Project QLKT-2000-02044

Project: Novel tools for developing Fusarium resistant and toxin free wheat for Europe.

Date of meeting:             Aug 22 (9.00-16.00 hours) to August 23, 2002   (9.00 to 16.00 hours)

Place of the meeting:        John Innes Center, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, UK

Time schedule:               Start 1. day, final 2. day

 Participants (see also picture): 

P1: P. Ruckenbauer (PR), U. Scholz (US), M. Lemmens (ML) and H. Buerstmayr (HB); P2: F. Borum (FB); P3: A. Neumayer (AN); P4: J. Schondelmaier (JS); P5: A. Mesterhazy (AM); P6: F. Doohan (FD), R. Browne (RB) and Khairul Ansari (KA); P7: G. Adam (GA) and P8: P. Nicholson (PN)

The scientific officer R. Hardwick and the mycotoxin cluster coordinator N. Magan were invited but were not able to participate  

 

Program:

Program of Day 1

 

1.  Introduction

Welcome by PN; Appointing of PR and US as chairperson and secretary, respectively

 2.   Approve of last meeting minutes

Last meeting minutes were unanimously approved, the following matters arose from last meeting: a) Pay attention to the decisions and suggestion outlined in the meeting minutes, b) Focus on past and upcoming research on subtask level with deliverables and milestones achieved/achievable, c) If delays or changes then give explanations and solutions or consequences, d) Report about exploitation, dissemination [location, date, method and reference (if possible)], ethical aspects and safety provisions (if happened or not)

 3.   Correspondence

a) Respond to request of information in time, b) Follow suggested schedule for reporting

 4.   Finances

Partners are exclusively responsible for the correctness of their finances/cost statements. US reminded to follow the rules given in the financial part of the model contract, which was signed by all project participants. Questions by AM and GA concerning irrigation equipment purchase and employment, respectively have been addressed. PR stated, that we should follow the personal structure as planned in the technical annex. Examples for finance and person month recording as well as cost statements were presented.

 5.   Detailed discussion of WP1

After a detailed presentation of screening data from 2002 and the basics of FHB resistance the status of progress in WP1 has been reported by AM (ST2, ST3) and ML (ST1, ST4)]. All scientific activities as well as deliverables and milestones of WP 1 for the first project year will be achieved. The screening of the nurseries in Hungary and Austria went well, however, the time window between harvest, phenotyping and data evaluation is very narrow. The presentation of the WP1 results will be accessible in the password protected area of the FUCOMYR website.

 6.   Detailed discussion of WP2

All scientific activities as well as deliverables and milestones of WP 2 to be achieved within the first project year have been discussed in detail. WP2 report and respective principle investigators [HB (ST1, ST2) and JS (ST3)] The deliverables and milestones will be achieved. The presentation of the WP2 results will be accessible in the password protected area of the FUCOMYR website.

 Joint dinner

Program of Day 2

 7.   Detailed discussion of WP3

All scientific activities as well as deliverables and milestones of WP 3 to be achieved within the first project year have been discussed in detail. WP3 report and respective principle investigators [FD plus RB (cellophane method) (ST1), GA (ST2) and PN (ST3)]. The deliverables and milestones will be achieved. The presentation of the WP2 results will be accessible in the password protected area of the FUCOMYR website.

 8. Layout and structure of annual reports

The PowerPoint presentation dealing with reporting, calculation of person months, bookkeeping and other issues raised at the Ireland meeting will be e-mailed to all project participants as reference tool.

For reporting:

a) Demonstrate, that you achieved the deliverables and milestones planned in the TA in time, quantity and quality. b) Delays encountered č give reasons for it, explain consequences on subtask level (other deliverables and milestones might be delayed) and provide solution, c) Report all exploitation and dissemination activities as well as ethical aspects and safety provisions, d) Design reports as suggested in EU guidelines, e) Avoid colored images and text wrapping around images, f) Cost statement sent to IFA until second week of September, g) all attachments exclusively in English and clearly identify, if attachment is database or report, to which deliverable it belongs, h) respective milestones should be added for Partner reports, i) project management reports

9.   Consortium agreement

General agreement for CA by all partners (full and associated) can be stated. Profound suggestions to clarify some points of the sample agreement as well as partner comments were included. The next version was made available to all partners (changes were highlighted as bold and underlined) and could by signed by all partner within the next six months. For the remaining point under discussion please see the PowerPoint presentation of US, which will be sent to all participants. The pre-existing knowledge remains to be defined by all partners, who have not done it until to date.

10.  Other motions

Mycotoxin cluster contacts: PN and PR reported about their participation on the conference ”EU-Project Prevention of Fusarium mycotoxins entering human and animal food chain“ in Bari, Italy in February 2002 again, since all project participants were present. PR reported about his participation in the EU/ICC conference in Vienna in March 2002 and potential Cereal-Fusarium research implications within the 6th EU-Framework program. The FUCOMYR project will be presented by one person at the next cluster meeting in Uppsala, Sweden in 2003.

11.  Any other business

Publicity of Project management (Poster, handouts, presentations) and project partners has to be reported to the project management. Inform the project management about regional presentations related to FUCOMYR and produce poster and handouts in German, Hungarian and Danish based on the English version which was made available to all participants. Add your own contribution as a project partner.

12.  Next meeting

The next meeting is the 18-month-meeting at CRC in Hungary, where the coordinator, the manager, the work package coordinators and Paul Nicholson will meet. March 6 to 7, 2003 has been suggested as a meeting date. FD suggested for the next annual meeting to give all participant the opportunity to discuss their work package more in detail during day 2 and in small groups consisting of the work package relevant participants.

13.  Laboratory tour

The laboratory tour covered laboratories, greenhouses and growth chambers, where phytopathological and molecular biological methods relevant for the project were demonstrated.

14.  Meeting steering committee

A separate sheet is composed and distributed to all project participants.

Joint dinner

End of meeting