The year 2020 has been designated as the International Year of Plant Health by the United Nations General Assembly. This special designation provides an important opportunity for professional societies, agricultural organizations, and other entities to raise global and national awareness of Plant Health. Addressing a breadth of Plant Health issues - ranging from soil health to crop genetics, disease management, social and economic impact studies, and technologies to improve production - is vital to ending hunger, reducing poverty, protecting the environment, and boosting economic development.
To commemorate this special year, the American Phytopathological Society Public Policy Board will host a Congressional Reception at the U.S. Botanical Gardens in Washington, D.C. on March 3, 2020. This event will offer a unique opportunity for policy makers and plant health stakeholders to discuss critical plant health issues. At this reception, we would like to showcase 5 high-quality poster presentations on diverse and impactful research projects in the broad area of plant health. These posters will serve to promote science and provide informative conversation starters for the members of Congress, staffers, and others that will be in attendance; hence, presenters should be effective communicators.