Julie Flood has made a significant contribution to the study of diseases of tropical perennial crops during her varied career. Born in South Wales, her interest in plant pathology was kindled at school by her biology teacher, Mrs Railton. She then attended Swansea University, reading Botany and Microbiology before undertaking a PhD with Professor Ivor Isaacs on the role of phytoalexins in verticillium wilt of lucerne. She has continued to study vascular wilt diseases for the rest of her career. A founder member of the BSPP, Julie has been both a Board Member and President. She has become increasingly interested in the wider aspects of plant health including its importance in food security and in biosecurity. This interest was reflected in her Presidential Conference ‘Food Security, Biosecurity and Trade: the role of plant health’ in 2016. Moving to the University of Bristol in 1978, she joined Dr Mike Madelin's group, to teach plant pathology to undergraduates and also short courses about plant health to the general public, so starting a long-term interest in communicating plant health issues to different audiences. In 1984, she joined Dr Richard Cooper at the University of Bath to lead a team working on tropical crop diseases. Studies of the host–pathogen interaction of verticillium wilt of cocoa led to the discovery of novel phytoalexins while field studies indicated the presence of the pathogen in weeds in cocoa estates in Brazil. In oil palm, she worked towards understanding the host–pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis) interaction and investigating disease spread. Improving host resistance screening and developing improved field diagnostics was also undertaken as use of resistant germplasm is the only practical, long-term method of management for these pathogens. After 9 years in Bath, she moved to Papua New Guinea as Head of Plant Pathology at the Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute (CCRI), working on a range of important diseases of cocoa and coconut including Phytophthora diseases and vascular streak die-back (Ceratobasidium theobromae). In addition to management duties, this post also involved diagnostic and advisory visits to producers in the field. This experience reinforced her understanding of the need for accurate field diagnostics and for effective communication to all stakeholders. More effective plant health messages for extension staff and producers allowed greater levels of best practice adoption and reduction in crop losses. Returning to the UK, she joined CABI in 1996 as Senior Research Group Leader working with Dr Jim Waller. Jim, a recognized international authority on coffee diseases, was approached by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) to send a plant pathologist to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) to confirm unsubstantiated reports of a new disease of coffee, to determine its extent and to make an assessment of the seriousness of the situation. Within months, Julie was working with both African and UK-based staff conducting surveys in DRC and Uganda. It became apparent that there was no new disease but the re-emergence of fusarium wilt of coffee (Fusarium xylarioides), which had devastated coffee crops across Africa in the 1940s and 1950s. As a result of her reports and presentations to the ICO and at conferences, major donors were alerted to the extent of the threat to producer livelihoods. CABI subsequently led the Regional Coffee Wilt Programme, a multi-million dollar, multi-donor, multi-partner programme that involved aspects of research about the pathogen but also, importantly, in the development of appropriate practical extension material for coffee producers. Julie also continued to develop projects on cocoa and coconut (Phytophthora diseases) and oil palm (Ganoderma species) working with governmental and private sector groups in Southeast Asia. Julie has remained at CABI, becoming Regional Director for the European Centre, then Global Director for Commodities and subsequently Senior Global Director for Trade and Commodities. She recently stepped down from this global role to work part-time as a Senior Plant Pathologist. She continues to champion the importance of plant health in food security. Ultimately, it is about trying to make a difference to people's lives. Often that involves helping the millions of smallholders to improve their access to markets and so improve their livelihoods, for themselves and for the future of their families.
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Apr 24, 2024
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