1957] MOSHER: REINER BONDE, HONORED 361

Dr. Reiner Bonde (center) accepting Honorary Life Membership Certificate from President Hougas at Annual Banquet of the Potato Association of America, Dec. 2,

1957. Paul Mosher (left) sponsored Dr. Bonde.

DR. R E I N E R B O N D E H O N O R E D

Reiner Bonde was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and worked his way through high school and college. He graduated from Minnesota in 1922 with a B.S. Degree. While in college he held various positions: Assistant Plant Pathologist, USDA, Barberry Eradication work in 1919; worked on Grain Rust in Iowa and Minnesota 1920: Certified Seed Inspector for Minnesota; and was employed by the Nebraska Potato Improvement Association.

in 1924 he received a Master 's Degree at the University of Maine and has been employed by the Maine Experiment Station since that date. He was Assistant Plant Pathologist from 1924 to 1928: Associate Plant Pathologist 1928 to 1947: and Plant Pathologist since 1947. A little time was taken in 1938 when he returned to Minnesota where he received his Doctor's Degree. His thesis was entitled "Insect Transmission of Bacterial Diseases in Potatoes."

Dr. Bonde is a past president of the Potato Association of America and has served on various connnittees of that organization. He is a member of American Phytopathological Society, Americml Botanical

362 AMER1CAN POTATO JOURNAL [Vol. 34

Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Potato Association of America. He is also a member of the Honor Society, Sigma Xi. In 1949 he received recognition by Maine Potato Growers for 25 years of outstanding service in potato research.

Dr. Bonde has worked on and found the solution to many potato production problems. He has worked on degenerative d i seases -how they spread, their effect upon yields and of utmost importance, how to control them.

He was the first to describe and recognize bacterial wilt in Maine. Since then he has determined how it is spread, and found disinfectants to use on equipment to prevent its spread and has developed and tested thousands of wilt resistant varieties.

Dr. Bonde was one of the first to suggest isolated seed plots as a means of controlling both virus and bacterial diseases.

As a result of Dr. Bonde's work on virus and bacterial diseases the State of Maine Seed Board Farm was created to produce high quality seed for the Maine seed potato industry. His advice and counsel are a big factor in the production of 100 acres of top quality disease free seed on this farm.

He was the first to recognize that late blight spreads from cull 1)lies under Maine conditions and developed materials and methods of controlling the disease. Hundreds of new fungicides have been tested in his plots for the control of this disease. Currently he is working on methods of forecast- ing late blight in Maine. Each year Dr. Bonde tests many seedlings for resistance to diseases especially late bright and bacterial wilt.

He has worked on seed treatment for the control of scab, and rhizoctonia and more recently on the use of antibiotics for the control of seed piece decay and soft rot. He has written over 140 scientific publica- tions plus many popular articles for local use. These are only a few of Dr. Bonde's accomplishments.

It is verv appropriate that Dr. Reiner Bonde should receive this Honorary I.i(e Membership in the Potato Association of America- -an honor he so richly deserves.

PAUl, MOStH-;R. Crop Specialist, University of Mai~ae, Orono, Maine