Dear Germination & Early Growth Working Group Members

We would like to invite you to attend a working group workshop meeting to be held in Italy on Monday-Tuesday September 15-16 , 2008, at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Perugia, Italy.

The aim of the meeting will be

Please let us both (Ilse Rasmussen and Francesco Tei) know as soon as possible and at latest by the 1^st July 2008:

The EWRS Germination & Early Growth WG is contributing funds to help participants attend this meeting, therefore EWRS-members attending will receive a refund for part of their expenses.

 **If you are not already an EWRS-member, signing up as a member of the EWRS before the workshop will allow you to benefit from the sponsorship for this workshop. In addition, you will receive "Weed Research"!**

A final programme, the final cost of the meeting and the subsidies from the EWRS WG budget will be sent out 15 July 2008, and final registration for the meeting will be 31 July 2008.

Best wishes

Ilse A. Rasmussen, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Francesco Tei, University of Perugia, Italy

EWRS Germination & Early Growth WG  workshop 2008:

Provisional program:

14^th September 2008

Arrival & dinner. (venue and time to be decided)

15^th September 2008

1.      Welcome to Perugia (Francesco Tei)

2.      Introduction to the working group (Ilse A. Rasmussen)

3.      Brief outline of the common experiment (Ilse A. Rasmussen)

4.      Share feedback on 2008 common experiment and presentation of preliminary results from each participating group (All)

5.      Discussion of continuation of experiment (Ilse A. Rasmussen)

6.      Presentation of results from 2006 experiment (Jack Dekker, others?)

7.      Discussion of publication plans (Jack Dekker, others?)

16^th September 2008

8.      Other working group activities (Ilse A. Rasmussen, others?)

9.      Short offered presentations/updates on research activities of WG participants

a.      Agnieszka Stokłosa: "Results from experiments with A. fatua and S. media".

b.      Kirsten S. Tørresen: “Germination and dormancy of volunteer spring turnip rape”

c.      others?

10. Future plans (Ilse A. Rasmussen, others?)

End around ?:00 (yet to be decided, see practical information)

Provisional costs:

Dinner on arrival on the evening of 14^th and on the evening of the 15^th and all meals during the meeting are estimated at € 110 per person (approx. € 30 per evening meal, €25 meals + coffee per day during the meeting).  In addition there will be accomodation (see practical info) and your transport costs to and from Italy to consider.

Travel and accommodations

Location

The Workshop will be held at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Perugia that is located in the 10^th century San Pietro Benedictine abbey.

The Faculty of Agriculture in Perugia was founded in 1896 and it is one of the most ancient and famous faculties of Agriculture throughout Italy.

Perugia is situated in the centre of Italy (Umbria region), half way between Florence and Rome. The town is located on the top of a hill (about 500 m a.s.l.) in an area known as “the green heart of Italy” due to its beautiful, evergreen countryside. Perugia offers several Etruscan, Roman and Renaissance historical sites. Moreover it is relatively close to the picturesque medieval towns of Assisi (20 km), Todi (30 km) and Gubbio (40 km).

Travel information - How to reach Perugia

By plane

If you want to reach Perugia by plane you have the following options:

- to the International Airport Milan Malpensa and then by a domestic flight to Perugia S. Egidio (see timetables below). From Perugia S. Egidio Airport you can reach the town centre by a shuttle bus service.

MILANO Malpensa - PERUGIA

 - to the International Airport Roma Leonardo da Vinci and then to Perugia by train (check train timetables at www.trenitalia.com) or by bus (see timetables below or visit "Sulga bus service" at www.sulga.it)

Roma Airport (Terminal C)- Perugia (Bus service)

one-way ticket = 20 Euro

- to the International Airports in Florence or Ancona and to Perugia by train (check train timetables at www.trenitalia.com)

By train

Please check timetables at www.trenitalia.com

By car

- from Milano (460 km) or Bologna (250 km) or from Firenze (160 km)

            highway A1 (Milano - Roma) - exit Valdichiana - take the freeway to Perugia

- from Bologna (250 km)

            highway A14 (Bologna - Canosa) - exit Cesena Nord - take the freeway E45 to Perugia

- from Roma (170 lm)

            highway A1 (Roma - Milano) - exit Orte - take freeway E45 to Perugia

Timetable

The meeting will commence on Monday 15 September at 9 AM and end on Tuesday 16 September at ? PM (in time to reach airports for flights within Europe).

Meals

Coffee for breaks and lunches will be served in a room close to the meeting room.

Workshop dinner (Monday 15 September) will be organised in a restaurant close to the Faculty (i.e. walking distance to the town center for a "post-dinner beer").

Accommodation

The following hotels are within walking distance from the workshop venue and close to the historical town centre:

Another option is to stay in a hotel (Hotel Sacro Cuore **, single room 43 Euro, double room 70 Euro) not far from the Faculty and town center (5 minutes by car).

Please indicate which hotel you prefer as soon as possible and no later than 31 July to Prof. Francesco Tei.

Contacts