Bacterial canker of kiwifruit caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv.actinidiae (Psa), is the most important disease for yellow and green-fleshed kiwifruit and has spread worldwide in less than six years. It causes serious economic losses in many countries and in some places has become an impediment to a profitable and growing kiwifruit industry. In Chile, the disease appeared in the year 2011, and the Agricultural Service and Livestock (SAG) declared mandatory disease control throughout the national territory.

The economic importance of this serious disease has lead many researches around the world to study different aspect of the disease such as characterization of the pathogen, ecological interactions, and design of measures for control and prevention of it. Thus, the International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) inaugurated in 2013 a series of conferences to share and integrate the current knowledge on Psa.

Therefore, the III International Symposium of Bacterial Canker (Psa) will be held at Santiago, Chile, between the 28-31 March 2017. This meeting is being organized by The National Agricultural Reseach Institute - La Platina and the Kiwi Committee of Chile, and we invite all the parties involved or interested in this important disease to share their knowledge for a better understanding and management of the bacterial canker of kiwifruit.