The International working group on Ostrinia (IWGO): its past, present and future

Abstract

During the IX International Congress of Entomology in Moscow, USSR in 1968, The International Working Group on Ostrina was organized by six members from Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, USA and Yugoslavia. Later this group expanded to include Austria. Canada, France, and Spain. The ten character members conducted research with the emphasis on host plant resistance in 1969 field season. They exchanged inbreds, and identified, and selected produced corn lines resistant/tolerant to the European corn borer. The membership continuosly grew, and now includes bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Israel, and Portugal. China, Germany, India, Italy and Philipines were active to varying extent at times.This international working group has produced information on the biology of ECB and ECB/corn interactions. It also developed synthetics and hybrids with borer resistance/tolerance and with good agronomic characteristics. The working of IWGO exemplifies international cooperation at its best among scientists on a worthy program, in spite of the political disharmony during most of the quarter century when the program was in operation.