International Symposium on tospoviruses and thrips of floral and vegetable crops. Introduction.

The International Symposium on Tospoviruses and Thrips of Floral and Vegetable Crops, held 7–10 November 1995 in Taiwan, attracted scientists active in virology, entomology, and resistance breeding. This blend of expertise provided much new information. The last international meeting on tospoviruses and their interactions with thrips and plants took place 5 years ago in Beltsville, Maryland, USA. During the past 5 years, tospovirus research has greatly expanded, particularly in the area of molecular biology. The meeting in Taiwan demonstrated that the Asia-Pacific region has become an important area for tospovirus research. This section summarizes the salient points that arose during the individual sessions.