The workshop was held 6 times during the 1990s by Craig Grau and Jack Paxton at the Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff, WI and recently reinstated.

Recent meetings:

• October 30-31, 2011 – Woodruff, WI
• September 23-25, 2012 – Woodruff, WI
• September 16-17, 2013 – Woodruff, WI
• November 18-19, 2014 – Duck Key, FL

This workshop is part of a larger objective to facilitate communication and collaboration among extension personnel, plant scientists, and oomycete molecular genetics researchers interested in oomycete disease control and supports a 5 year, 18 institute coordinated agricultural project (CAP) through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at USDA-NIFA that addresses the program area of “Oomycete Pathoystems in Crop Plants to Minimize Disease”. The goal of this project is to take our knowledge of the biology of oomycete pathogens, especially P. sojae, to create new disease management technologies that integrate with current practices to improve the sustainability of soybean production and other crop plants in the US. Specific objectives are:

1. Molecular diagnostic tools for Pythium and Phytopthora sojae (Psj).
2. Screen for new resistance using Psj effectors.
3. Disrupt oomycete infection w/ new transgenics.
4. Novel resistance transgene strategies.
5. Oomycete undergraduate network.
6. Economic and social analysis of project technologies.
7. Facilitated communication/collaboration among soybean-oomycete community.
8. Extension programs for oomycete diseases of soybean/other crop plants and GMO technologies.
9. Expand highly successful Kids’ Tech University at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech to Bowling Green State University.