Youth Working Committee, IPP, held successfully the 4th Youth Forum for Plant Protection in 2016 in September, 2016. Prof. WU Jianqiang, distinguished scientist of the National Thousand Talents Program, from Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was invited to speak.

The title of Dr. WU’s presentation was Parasitic plant dodder (Cuscuta sp.) transduces signal of systematic insect resistance between different host plants. By using chemical analysis and molecular biological methods, Dr. WU and his team study interactions between plant and other organisms, esp. insects, parasitic plants and microbes, and mechanisms for plant to recognize infestation from insects and plant resistance signal transduction pathways and pathways for plants to synthesize insect resistance compounds. They used dodder as material to study the interaction between plant and parasitic plant, the transduction of dodder after host plant was infested by insect pest and the defense response from host plant. They illustrated the molecular mechanism of interaction between host plant and dodder.

Studying the mechanisms for plant to defense insects, seeking effective insect resistance genes and enhancing the insect resistance within crops is way of more economic, effective, green and environment friendly. After the Forum, Dr. WU and scientists in Corn Insect Pests Group exchanged deeply on insect-crop interaction. The discussion laid solid foundation for later collaboration.

Prof. LIU Xingang, the director of Youth Working Committee, chaired the Forum. More than 60 experts, young scientists, postdoctors and graduates attended this forum.