International Advances in Pesticide Application 2026 (IAPA26)
2026-01-20 - 2026-01-22 | Hotel Regina Margherita, Caligari, Italy
Event Website
Hybrid Event hosted in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

The biennial International Advances in Pesticide Application is the pre-eminent conference aimed at researchers, advisors, manufacturers, practitioners and regulators in this subject area from around the world. It provides an opportunity for networking and sharing ideas in an informal and collegial atmosphere for all those with an interest in pesticide application technology, its influence on the performance of plant protection products and human and environmental exposures to pesticides.
This conference will cover a very wide range of research, from traditional topics such as spray drift and sprayer testing, through precision application techniques, to new and emerging spray delivery platforms such as autonomous vehicles, both air and ground-based.

IAPA26 Location

IAPA26 will be hosted in beautiful Cagliari, Sardinia.
The opening ceremony on January 20th will be held at Aula Magna University deglli Studi di Cagliari.
The remainder of the meeting will be held at Hotel Regina Margherita.
On January 21st we will take a visit to the agricultural school Scuola de Agricultura de Cagliari for food and wine tasting with regional produce.

Dates for the Diary

October 1st: Abstract submission for poster presentations. This research has the option of providing a short article in Aspects of Applied Biology. This is not mandatory.
October 15th: Deadline for submission of draft Aspects paper
November 20th: Return of edited manuscripts
December 10th: Deadline for final submissions
Submit an Offer here

Crop Production in Northern Britain 2026
2026-02-25 - 2026-02-26 | The Apex Hotel Dundee
The AAB are delighted to organise CPNB 2026 on behalf of the Association of CPNB.
VISIT CPNB EVENT WEBSITE VISIT AAB EVENT WEBSITE
CPNB 2026 (“The Dundee Conference”) is be the foremost Conference concerning environmental management and crop production and associated topics in northern environments. Whilst the long-established Association for Crop Protection in Northern Britain is not changing its name, the change in the title of the Conference to Crop PRODUCTION, reflects the wider remit of recent conferences.
The ACPNB committee are delighted to confirm that the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB) will return to organise CPNB26, following a successful event in 2024.
Furthermore AAB provide £1000 to sponsor the meeting, which will be associated with the offer of free AAB membership for a calendar year.

The programme for CPNB is comprised of talks from invited speakers mixed with the majority selected from submitted abstracts. This provides opportunities for early career researchers and professionals to introduce their work in an external meeting.
The scientific presentations at CPNB are usually divided into sessions on ‘Potatoes’, ‘Combinable Crops‘ and ‘Agriculture and the Environment‘.
Download Preliminary Program (PDF, January 9th 2026)

Monogram 2026
2026-03-23 - 2026-03-26 | Robinson College, Cambridge, Grange Rd, Cambridge, B3 9AN
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The Monogram Network was established in 2005 and consists of mostly UK-based researchers with an active interest in small grain cereals and grass (including C4 energy grasses). A primary aim is to link academia with commercial science and crop breeding, Monogram 2026 will include both basic and more applied research and its members span disciplines including plant genetics, physiology, pathology, breeding, and bioinformatics.
From 2026, Monogram are linking up with AAB to organise their annual meeting, which will simplify the organisation challenges and provide financial security. Attendees of Monogram 2026 have the opportunity to join AAB for a year (see AAB member benefits). The Monogram Steering Group will still make all scientific decisions about the meeting.

Monogram 2026 Meeting Schedule

Download Final Programme (March 18th,PDF)
Monday March 23rd
MONOGRAM: ECR Skill Building Pre-conference Workshop. Hosted at Niab.
Tuesday March 24th
AM: Meeting start at 9am and scientific sessions
PM: Scientific sessions and evening poster session at Robinson College
Wednesday March 25th
Start at 9a,
AM: Scientific sessions
PM: Scientific sessions and local tour
Evening: Conference dinner at Robinson College (booked as an optional item)
Thursday March 26th
Start at 930am AM: Scientific sessions
Main Meeting ends at lunch
PM: Resources workshop

Online Registration remains open
Supported by

AAB-PlantEd Webinar: All aabout Plant Gene Editing
2026-04-21 11:00 - 12:00 (Europe/London)
Register here for this exciting webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AJNflpy7QBiMOBCIWOUxuA
The AAB PlantEd specialist group is organising a series of webinar during 2026 on the topic of plant gene editing.
The first webinar is on April 21st at 11am BST (UTC+1).
Speakers:
Tien Vu Van (Gyeongsang National University): From Inefficient to Ultra-Efficient: Advancing Prime Editing for Precision Plant Breeding
Natasha Brock (Rothamsted Research): Re-engineering amino acid metabolism in wheat grain using CRISPR/Cas9.

Other 2026 AAB-PlantEd All aabout plant gene editing webinar dates ->
June 16th 2pm BST
Speakers: Claudia Payacan (Neocroptech)
Jillis Grubben (Wageningen University)
September 15th 2pm BST
Speakers:
Ralf Wilhelm, (Julius Kühn-Institut)
Robert Hoffie (IPK Gatersleben)
November 10th 2pm GMT
Sotirios (Akis) Fragkostefanakis (University of Frankfurt)
Eliza Loo (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf)

Webinar all aabout' IPM
2026-05-29 13:00 - 14:00
The next webinar in the AAB series all ‘aabout’ plant science and sustainable agriculture comes from our Biocontrol and IPM specialist group.
Featuring talks from:
Nicolas Munier-Jolain (INRAE):
“IPMWORKS, an EU-wide network of demo farms to promote holistic Integrated Pest Management for healthy crops and sustainable farming with a low reliance on chemical pesticides.”
Xiangming Xu (Niab):
“Effects of applying Trichoderma asperellum to rice (Oryza sativa) on phytobiome and plant responses” https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.70119
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/i8RHzw5nR0Od0zAVc_fGLg

Acrylamide in Cereal Products: Progress and Prospects
2026-06-03 - 2026-06-04 | PALERMO – SPLENDID HOTEL LA TORRE, Palermo, Italy
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Meeting Information
In-person delegates can register for the two-day event. The event begins with a social reception on the evening of June 3rd. There are scientific sessions throughout June 4th from 9am -6pm. Following the scientific sessions on June 4th there will be a optional social event that will be arranged separately.
We offer registrations fees for the following delegate categories:
1. Early Career Professionals (anyone within 5 years of finishing full-time education)
2. Delegates from an Inclusiveness Target Country
3. Regular Attendee
4. ACRYRED Member

Instructions for Abstract submission.
Most speakers at this event will be selected from submitted abstracts.
People who submit an abstract have the option to apply to present an oral or a a poster presentation. Anyone who is not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to present a poster.
We especially welcome submissions from early career professionals.
The abstract submission deadline is April 15th 2026.

The conference venue is PALERMO – SPLENDID HOTEL LA TORRE, Via Piano Gallo, 11 | 90151 Palermo, Sicily, Italy
The event fee is for meeting only (no accommodation).
On the evening of June 3rd we will host a evening social reception at the hotel and scientific sessions will follow on June 4th.
ACRYRED Member: Free
Regular Attendee: €130
Early Career Professional: €65
Registrant from ITC Country: €65
SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

AAB-PlantEd Webinar: All aabout Plant Gene Editing
2026-06-16 14:00 - 15:00
The AAB PlantEd specialist group is organising a series of webinar during 2026 on the topic of plant gene editing.
The second webinar is on June 16th at 2pm BST (UTC+1).
Register here -> https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/q6KNiq8TTdm95qLt6aereQ
Speakers:
Claudia Payacan (Neocroptech): Integrative Platform for Accelerated Development of Wheat Varieties via Multiplex Genome Editing
Jillis Grubben (Wageningen University): Crispr4All: Accessible Genome Editing using ThermoCas9

Other 2026 AAB-PlantEd All aabout plant gene editing webinar dates ->
September 15th 2pm BST
Speakers:
Ralf Wilhelm, (Julius Kühn-Institut)
Robert Hoffie (IPK Gatersleben)
November 10th 2pm GMT
Sotirios (Akis) Fragkostefanakis (University of Frankfurt)
Eliza Loo (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf)

AAB Webinar: All aabout Rice
2026-06-30 10:00 - 11:00
As part of the ongoing webinar series ‘all aabout’ plant sciences and sustainable agriculture, the Association of Applied Biologists is proud to present this webinar ‘all aabout’ Rice on behalf of Oryzanet – a BBSRC-funded international network supporting collaboration, innovation, and training across rice research.
Featuring talks from:
Ari Sadanandom (Durham University, UK):
“Deciphering the SUMO code for stress responses in rice”
Moe Moe Kyi Win (Kasetsart University, Thailand):
“QTL-seq identifies key gene important for Bacterial Leaf Streak (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola) resistance in rice”
Plus a recent paper highlight from Annals of Applied Biology (TBC).
Register for free: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vU11se7NRF6LoDc8cXCZ_w

International Conference on Photosynthesis Research 2026 (ICPR26)
2026-07-26 - 2026-07-30 | ACC Liverpool
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The study of photosynthesis has attracted the attention of successive legions of biologists, biochemists, chemists and physicists for over 200 years. Never in the history of photosynthesis research, however, has progress in our understanding of photosynthetic mechanisms, regulation and improvement been made as rapidly as it has over the past 5 years. Nature makes photosynthesis look easy, but the construction of artificial photosynthetic systems remains challenging. Substantial efforts to improve the efficiency and productivity of photosynthesis have the potential to increase crop yields without further increasing fertilizer and water use.
Moreover, tailoring photosynthesis to meet the needs of nature-based solutions to climate change and to the sustainability of food production remain global challenges that have to be addressed by the photosynthesis community. This meeting will galvanise participants from academia and industry to translate this new mechanistic understanding of photosynthetic function into improved crop production and more efficient terrestrial carbon sinks.

Schedule highlights
Two Keynote Talks and Twelve Plenary Speakers

Danielle Way (Australian National University)
David Baker and Nathan Ennist,( University of Washington)

Twenty-five Concurrent Sessions
Early Bird Registration closes on April 10th 2026
Download preliminary schedule (Feb 28th, PDF)
Associated with the main meeting are a series of Satellite Meetings both before and after ICPR26.
Organised by AAB on behalf of the International Society of Photosynthesis Research

International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics 2026
2026-09-08 - 2026-09-11 | The Royal Society, London
Visit Event Website
Registration and Poster abstract Submission is open.

We are delighted to bring ISRFG26 to London at the historic Royal Society.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we are pleased to invite you to London to participate in the 23rd International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics (ISRFG 2026) , to be held 08 – 10 September, 2026.
Rice is the most important food crop in the world – feeding ½ the planet. As the world’s population approaches 10 billion by 2050, we must do all we can to develop new varieties that are more nutritious, climate resilient, and require fewer inputs (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, water).
To help meet this future demand, rice scientists around the globe united in a $200M USD project to sequence the rice genome – the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project (IRGSP) – which was completed in November of 2004 – and was the first reference genome for any crop plant. Over the past 20+ years this landmark accomplishment has led to thousands of novel discoveries and insights that have positively impacted the rice farmer’s ability to grow rice sustainably and bring a premium market price. As we deal with inevitable man-made climate change, growing rice is becoming a viable option in an increasing number of countries. As the breadth of rice-growing countries widens we are delighted to bring ISRFG26 to the UK, a country which is performing an increased amount of rice research. Furthermore, UK researchers have a strong history of collaborations with colleagues in the traditional rice-growing areas.
The 2026 meeting will host keynote, plenary and concurrent sessions alongside a poster session and local visit. The format of the meeting will be three days of lectures, workshops, and a poster session. There will be a final fourth day visit to a scietifically relevant location in London (TBC).
ISRFG26 will be a great opportunity to showcase rice research in emerging rice-growing countries whilst bringing together collaborators at a historic venue in London. ISRFG26 is being organised in collaboration with the Association of Applied Biologists, a scientific society that was founded in London in 1904 and supports researchers who are involved in many subjects area that aim to improve agricultural productivity.

ISRFG26 takes place at The Royal Society in Central London.
The venue includes the Welcome Trust Lecture theatre, City of London suite and other beautiful spaces for posters and concurrent sessions.

Confirmed Speakers
Download Preliminary Programme (PDF, May 21st).
We are delighted to confirm the Plenary speakers who will share their exciting current research at ISRFG 2026.
– Ashwani Pareek, Sneh Pareek, Rod Wing, Jitender Giri
– Qifa Zhang, Xuewei Chen, Emmanuel Guiderdoni, Nelson Saibo
– Adam Price, Amelia Henry, Siwaret Arikit, Nguyen Thi Lang
– Andy Jones, Pallavi Singh, Ian Dodd, Julian Hibberd
– Rory Hornby, Bipin Pandey, Adriana Botes

Draft Schedule

> Tuesday September 8th:
Welcome, Opening Keynote and Plenary Session
Lunch
Concurrent Sessions
Conference Social event (outside Royal Society)
> Wednesday September 9th:
Poster hanging
Plenary Sessions
Lunch
Concurrent Sessions
Poster Session and Drinks Reception
> Thursday September 10th:
Plenary Sessions
Lunch
Plenary Sessions and Closing Keynote
> Friday September 11th
Visit to Kew Gardens

Surveillance and Improved Disease control: a BSPP Satellite Meeting
2026-09-11 | John Innes Centre
AAB are delighted to again organise a Satellite meeting at the British Society of Plant Pathology Main Meeting. This Satellite meeting is entitled ‘Surveillance and Improved Disease control‘ and takes place on Friday September 11th 2026.
All Schedule and registration information for the main BSPP meetinng can be found here ->
BSPP Main Meeting
After the first registrationn closing date of May 31st 2026, the BSPP will offer single-day registration for this satellite meeting.
As such preference will be give to delegates who attend the entire meeting. However we do expect some places to be available for single day bookings. .
Confirmed speakers:
– Tom Will (VSG group) “Integrated strategies for disease control in bulb onions”
– Kyran Maloney (Plant Health Centre, Scotland) “How the UK Seed Potato Industry is Responding to a Changing Potato Leaf Roll Virus Challenge”
– John Clarkson (University of Warwick).

Auxin 2026
2026-10-04 - 2026-10-08 | Vidamar Hotel, Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal
We are delighted to announce that the Auxin2026 meeting will take place on the Algarve in Portugal between October 4th-8th 2026.
This quadrennial event brings together leading and emerging researchers in auxin biology to discuss the current state and future prospects for this exciting and fast moving research area!
Please ‘Save the Date’.
Registration opens on January 1st 2026
AAB are organising the event on behalf of the scientific leadership team of Dior Kelley, Lars Ostergaard and Andrea Gallavotti.
Visit Auxin2026 Website

Confirmed Invited Speakers
We have confirmed an outstanding set of invited speakers for this event; emphasizing that this is the primary conference for auxin researchers.

Early Career Essentials for Applied Biologists
2026-10-20 - 2026-10-21 | UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, Jubilee Hotel, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, NG8 1BB
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
The membership of the Association of Applied Biologists includes a unique cohort of early career professionals. This group includes ECPs who work across academia, industry, farming and agriculture. This sets the AAB apart from other societies whose membership cohorts are more homogeneous. We surveyed the AAB ECPs and there was a consensus choice for AAB to organise an event that mixes opportunities to present their research and participate in workshops that discuss skills, careers and other challenges/opportunities outside of research.
Schedule Details
This two-day meeting is a mix of oral and poster presentations and workshop sessions.
Day 1: October 20th 2026
Meeting begins at 10am:
Keynote talk
Delegate short talks.
– Lunch
Workshop- Shaping science policy: Understanding and Impacting the system
– Break
Workshop- Careers Panel: Changing your focus within science
Poster Session
Networking evening at local venue
Day 2: October 21st 2026
Keynote Talk
Delegate short talks.
– Break
Workshop – Creating inclusive teams: collaboration, leadership, and communication
Workshop- Building Resilience in and out of Research
– Lunch
Workshop- Communicating your Science: Promotion and Publication

Submit an Abstract to present your research

Technological Innovation for Integrated Pest, Pathogen and Weed Management
2026-11-03 - 2026-11-04 | Belmont Hotel, 20 De Montfort St, Leicester, LE1 7GR, United Kingdom
In this exciting meeting we are bringing together the interests of the AAB ‘Applied Plant Pathology’ and ‘Biocontrol and IPM’ groups to explore integrated technology-based strategies for pest, weed and pathogen management. We encourage abstract submissions from anyone working on technological innovations, the biology/ecology of IPM projects or in policy research that explores how these strategies can be implemented. In particular we encourage submissions about how new technologies have already been implemented or have the potential to impact this area of crop protection. This hybrid event takes place in-person at the Belmont Hotel in Leicester city centre, which is a 5 minute walk from the main train station. Leicester station is on a main North-South trainline so is within easy access from across the UK and beyond.
Event Website

Programme and Invited Speakers

The meeting begins in the morning of November 3rd and finishes in the afternoon of November 4th.
We are in the early stages of planning but are delighted to already confirm these participants:
– Rumiana Ray (University of Nottingham)
– Rachel Wells (John Innes Centre)
– Sacha White (AHDB)
– David Comont (Rothamsted Research)
– Mark Ramsden (ADAS)
– Lottie Alves (Nature Farming Friendly Network)
– Neal Evans (The Voluntary Initiative)
– Georgie Bray (RSPB)
– Ben Magri (Syngenta)
Abstract Submission Deadline is September 13th

Sustainable Crop Nutrition: AAB President's Meeting 2026
2026-11-17 - 2026-11-18 | Guildhall, York
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
17 November 2026 – 18 November 2026
The Guildhall York

Inorganic nutrients that are critical for crop growth, health and productivity must be absorbed from the soil and distributed around the plant. Research over past few decades has established the fundamental mechanisms underpinning inorganic nutrient transport.
However, plant-soil interactions and regulatory processes that enable efficient absorption and distribution are only just becoming understood. This meeting will address issues of crop nutrition from a global sustainability perspective, ranging from soil health and fertilizer use to distribution of minerals that are essential for human nutrition to edible parts of plants.
The AAB President’s Meeting is a biennial celebration of the research interests of the outgoing AAB President. We are delighted to organise this event on behalf of Professor Dale Sanders FRS.

Invited Speakers

We are delighted to confirm these invited speakers:
Tony Miller (John Innes Centre): Rank Prize Talk
Stephanie Swarbreck (Niab): Uptake of nutrients: Wheat Nitrogen Requirements (Title tbc)
Ute Kraemer (University of Bochum): Distribution of nutrients within crops (Title tbc)
Tim Mauchline (Rothamsted Research): Impact of structure and function of crop root microbiomes on nutrient cycling

We encourage abstract submissions in the following themes, although this is not an exhaustive list.
– Soil-plant interactions
– Fertilizers and the environment
– Nutrient distribution within the plant
– Improving nutritional quality
– Technological advances for analysing crop-nutrient interactions
SUBMIT an ABSTRACT

Horticulture and Healthy Diets Conference
2026-11-26 | East Malling Trust, New Rd, East Malling, ME19 6DZ, United Kingdom
Supporting Healthy Diets with a Thriving UK Horticulture Sector
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE

Join us for a dynamic one-day event dedicated to advancing sustainability in the edible horticulture sector. Hosted by The East Malling Trust and the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB), this conference almost uniquely we will bring together biologists, nutritionists and sociologists to explore how horticulture can increase the quality of nutrition in the UK diet.

What to Expect!

The conference will showcase cutting-edge research and practical innovations across scientific and sociological aspects to bring more horticultural crops into the UK diet.

Session 1 – UK Horticulture’s role in improving the quality of nutrition in the nation’s diet.
Session 2 – Nutrition and Plant Science
Session 3 – Bitesize Research supporting Horticulture and Healthy Diets
Session 4 – How do we improve the UK diet with domestically grown produce?
Session 5 – Investing in ourselves and the Horticultural sector

Confirmed Speakers

– Henry Dimbleby MBE – Author, National Food Strategy and co-founder Bramble Investors
– Prof. Cathie Martin, John Innes Centre – ViTaL D and Biofortification in horticulture crops
– Prof. Martin Warren – Chief Science Officer, Quadram Institute
– Dr Sven Batke, Edge Hill University and Green Innovation Consortium – NHS, Patient Care, & Horticulture
– Dr Eleftheria Stavidou, Niab – Iron-enriched tomatoes in the UK and Consumer Acceptance and Willingness to Pay

Abstract Submission

Please submit an abstract to present your own research at this exciting event!
All early career professionals who have their abstract accepted will have their registration fee waived. Successful applicants will be invited to provide a short introduction to their poster (1-minute talk). Posters will be presented in the extended lunch-poster session.
ECPs are anyone within 5 years of completing their final degree, including career breaks.
Abstract Submission deadline is September 15th 2026

Advances in Nematology 2026
2026-12-10 | The Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BF, United Kingdom
The annnual AAB Advances in Nematology meeting will take place on Thursday December 10th 2026 at the Linnean Society inn central London.
Meeting details to follow in Spring 2026!

International Advances in Plant Virology 2027 (IAPV27)
2027-04-06 - 2027-04-08 | Robinson College, Cambridge, Grange Rd, Cambridge, B3 9AN
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Plant viruses cause global and regional economic and societal losses, being responsible for a significant proportion of devastating emergent and re-emergent plant diseases.
The AAB ‘International Advances in Plant Virology (IAPV)’ conference has a broad remit where we invite participation from scientists who are interested in all aspects of plant virology. These research areas might be on the molecular mechanisms of plant-virus interactions; the applied consequences of plant virus infection; evolutionary and ecological aspects of plant viruses and exploring how plant viruses can be utilised in biotechnology.
We are very excited that IAPV27 will be organised at the University of Cambridge in the UK. This follows on the very successful IAPV25 in which over 250 delegates joined the meeting online or in Murcia, Spain.
IAPV27 is organised in collaboration with the Euphresco projects VIRNET2 and VALORHIGHTS and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network Viroidoc. Each project contributes to a session at IAPV27 in order to increase exposure to their activities.

Confirmed Speakers and Schedule

We will share the full schedule in February 2027 but we are delighted to welcome these confirmed speakers:
Manfred Heinlein (Institute of plant molecular biology IBMP, Strasbourg, France)
Christina Wege (University of Stuttgart, Germany)
David Baulcombe (University of Cambridge)
Marion Clavel (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany)
John Carr (University of Cambridge)
Louise McNamara (Teagasc, Ireland)
Richard Kormelink (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

We encourage abstract submissions from anyone working in the broad research topic of Plant Virology.
Importantly there will be plenty of opportunities for early career professionals to present provide an oral or poster presentation.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral presentations: January 13th 2027
Abstract submission deadline for Poster presentations: February 13th 2027
SUBMIT ABSTRACT HERE
Topics for abstract submissions:
We will ask you to select the broad topic that is the best fit for your abstract. This does not rule you out for being selected for other sessions but just helps abstract management.
i. Viroids
ii. Viromics and characterisation of novel viruses
iii. Ecology and community analyses
iv. Virus transmission
v. Host responses
vi. New research tools, technology or resources
vii. Mechanisms of infection
viii. Virus diagnostics
ix. Other
