Association of Applied Biologists

1st AAB-PlantEd Training School
2025-08-04 - 2025-08-07 | HHU Dusseldorf
1st AAB-PlantEd Training School
4 – 8 August 2025, Düsseldorf, Germany
Scope of the training school
The 1st AAB-PlantEd Training School will offer theoretical and practical training on effectively
conducting targeted plant mutagenesis. This will encompass gRNA selection, vector
construction, isolation of immature barley embryos, protoplast isolation, and methods for
mutant selection, including PCR/RE and T7EI assays. Furthermore, distinguished scientists
(Laurens Pauwels, Ghent University; Katrijn van Laere, ILVO; Sadiye Hayta and Mark Smedley,
John Innes Centre) will lecture on the subject and its applications.
AAB (https://www.aab.org.uk), CEPLAS (https://www.ceplas.eu/en/home/), and the German
Society for Plant Biotechnology e.V. (https://www.pflanzen-biotechnologie.de/english-1/)
provide logistical and financial support for the conference.

Application and selection process
The Training School will accommodate 16 early-career researchers (ECRs). Applications should
include a cover letter explaining how the knowledge gained will directly advance ongoing
research or career development, a CV, and a statement indicating the applicant’s interest in
travel funding. The application deadline is 1 May 2025. Further information is available from
Götz Hensel (goetz.hensel@hhu.de). Members of the specialist group
committee (https://www.aab.org.uk/specialist-groups/planted/) will select the candidates.
Selection criteria are based on sound scientific practice, including the excellence of the
application, gender balance, and geographical distribution. Successful applicants will be
notified by 15 May 2025.
No registration fee is required; however, applicants are responsible for their travel and
accommodation expenses. We will provide several coffee breaks throughout the event, and
participants can access the Mensa, which offers meals at reasonable prices.
Register for the Training School here

DOWNLOAD FULL MEETING INFORMATION (PDF)

International Conference on Arabidopsis Research 2025 (ICAR2025)
2025-06-16 - 2025-06-20 | Bijloke Gent Music Centre, Gent
AAB are again organising the European ICAR meeting on behalf of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee.
ICAR2025 takes place in Ghent, Belgium between June 16-20 2025. All meeting details can be found in the event website below ->
VISIT ICAR2025 Website
Download Preliminary Schedule (PDF, February 25th)

Legumes Science and Practice 3
2025-06-03 - 2025-06-04 | University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, United Kingdom
Visit Event Website

Agriculture is faced with the challenges of reducing its impact on the environment, adapting to the changing climate, and supporting biodiversity. UK agriculture relies heavily on imported protein for feed and home-grown legumes would help to reduce this dependence. Dietary change towards flexitarian/plant-based diets also creates a growing market for grain legumes for direct human consumption/processing for food. Grain and forage legumes have the potential to play a significant role either grown as sole crops, intercrops or mixtures in addressing the above challenges.
The inclusion of legumes in cropping systems enhances soil nitrogen levels, reducing fertiliser requirements and GHG emissions. The diverse range of leguminous forage and grain species provides opportunities for agriculture to grow a wider range of crops that are capable of coping with more extreme weather. Legumes also provide a resource for pollinators and birds and promote soil biodiversity.

Meeting Schedule

The meeting will begin mid-morning of June 3rd and conclude mid-afternoon on June 4th. We will host an evening poster session and drink reception on the evening of June 3rd, followed by a conference dinner (to be optionally booked). During the meeting (time TBC) we will arrange a visit to the University of Reading farm. Close to the event we will recommend the type of footwear required for this visit.
Proposed Meeting Sessions:
– Intercropping
– Grain legumes – challenges and opportunities
– Forage legumes – challenges and opportunities
– IntercropValues: Confirmed invited speaker: Kato Van Ruymbeke, KU Leuven, Belgium
– Future Proteins: Confirmed invited speaker: Josiah Meldrum, Hodemedods, UK

Abstract Submission
We encourage abstract submissions from anyone working in these broad research areas. Importantly there will be plenty of opportunities for early career professionals to present provide an oral or poster presentation. Oral presenters will also be able to bring a poster while poster presenters will be invited to provide a short introduction to their work ahead of the poster session.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral and Poster presentations: March 7th.
We aim to publish a draft schedule by April 1st.

Special Issue of Annals of Applied Biology

To coincide with the meeting we will organise a special issue of Annals of Applied Biology entitled ‘Legumes in Science and Practice‘. Annals is 100% owned by the AAB so publication in this society-owned journal contributes to future AAB activities. We welcome submission of original articles, reviews or Forum/comment pieces. The guest editors for the special issue will be Dr Emily Guest and Dr Charlotte White.

International Advances in Plant Virology (IAPV25)
2025-04-08 - 2025-04-11 | Aula de Cultura Cajamurcia, Gran Vía del Escultor Francisco Salzillo 23, 30005 Murcia
EVENT WEBSITE
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 IAPV25 will be organised in collaboration with the VIRTIGATION project and the Euphresco project (Continued) Community Network for practices in Plant Virology (VIRNET2).
On Day 1 we will organise VIRTIGATION sessions on viral transmission in ‘Tomatoes and Cucurbits grown in Closed Systems’ and a VIRNET2 session on Day 3 on ‘Community Network on diagnostics and HTS in plant virology’. Day 4 on Friday April 11th will a standalone VIRNET2 workshop that can be booked as part of IAPV25 or as a separate meeting.

Meeting Program

Day 1 will begin at lunchtime on April 8th and include session that have a focus on the VIRTIGATION project. We will host an evening poster session.
Day 2 will run throughout the day and end with a conference social event.
Day 3 on will include a session co-organised with the VIRNET2 project on ‘Community Network on diagnostics and HTS in plant virology’. This day will end in early evening on April 10th after which there will be a free evening for you to discover Murcia.
Day 4 will be a standalone workshop organised by the VIRNET2 project. This will consist of workshop sessions, with presentations and networking opportunities focussing on aspects of the HTS in research and diagnostics including determining biological characteristics of new discoveries, the minimum supporting evidence for reporting and their impacts on regulation. The day will finish with lunch at ~1330.

Invited Speakers

We are delighted to confirm these speakers at IAPV25:
Svetlana Folimonova, University of Florida, USA: One hundred years together: citrus tristeza virus and the phenomenon of cross-protection
Jun-min Li, Ningbo University, China: Diversity, Evolution, and Function of Insect-specific Viruses in Insect Vectors
Santiago Elena, Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, Spain
Emanuela Noris, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Italy
Hadrien Peyret, John Innes Centre/ Nottingham University, UK
Sebastian Massart, University of Liege

Abstract Submission

The majority of speakers at this meeting will be selected from submitted abstracts. We encourage delegates to submit an abstract to either present an oral or poster presentation.
We especially encourage submissions from early career professionals. AAB offer travel grants to support ECP attendance which we hope will encourage abstract submission.
Everyone who is not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to bring a poster presentation.
Abstract submission deadline for Poster Presentations only is February 28th 2025.
SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

AAB-PlantEd Webinar
2025-03-21 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/London)
AAB-PlantEd Specialist Group Webinar Series
Technical Advances and Policy Updates on Gene-Editing in Plants
Friday March 21st 2pm GMT
Speakers:
– Maria Dellino, DiSSPA, University “Aldo Moro” of Bari, Italy.
Using CRISPR/Cas9 to reduce genes involved in tomato allergy
– Aleksandra Hubar-Kolodziejczyk, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Legal prerequisites for NGT detection, identification and quantification in GMO authorization procedure – state of the art and limits to regulatory change
Register here -> https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_YlQGRJyQMCv1MKTTLueqg

Challenges for Effective Application of Biopesticides
2025-01-21 | Syngenta UK, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 6EY
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
This events seeks to align application technology and integrated pest management to help extract the maximum from biocontrols.
Sustainability and regulatory pressures are driving increased use of biocontrols in agriculture, horticulture and amenity. This day-long conference seeks to bring together interested parties from researchers to end users.
The programme will to cover state-of-the-art biocontrol applications, formulation technology and novel applications.
The aim is to provide user-focused outputs by highlighting best practices and identifying gaps to drive future research.
Abstract Submission

We are happy to receive abstract submissions from anyone who is involved in this area; which may include research on development of novel formulations, application technologies or on related policy topics. We have the option of organising a poster-session depending on the number and topic of submissions.

Abstract Submission Deadline is December 6th 2024.

We will publish the meeting schedule before the Christmas break in 2024.

SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

Registration Details
Registration opens on October 1st 2024.

Registration closes on January 7th 2025 but we encourage earlier registration. The event venue has a limit of 80 attendees that will be filled on a first come-first served basis.

Meeting Outputs

We will aim to recruit contributors to prepare a Forum article for publication in Annals of Applied Biology.

We expect that this article will outline the state of the art, reflect on existing challenges and offer possible solutions and opportunities for the future application of biologicals.

Plant Biology Education: Creating a Vision for the Future
2025-01-07 - 2025-01-08 | Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW
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This collaborative meeting aims to build a strong, inclusive community of plant biology educators across the UK and beyond. This meeting has a primary focus on plant biology teaching in Higher Education, but will also be of interest to high school/college biology teachers and those delivering plant biology education and training in professional contexts. The meeting will focus on nurturing the next generation of plant biologists, recognising the critical role plant science plays in tackling global challenges. By fostering collaboration and sharing best practices, educators in higher education can develop a shared vision for the future of plant science education in the UK. This includes exploring ways to attract a diverse range of talent, prepare students for a variety of careers, and integrate cutting-edge technology into the higher education curriculum. Ultimately, this collaborative effort will work towards a future filled with well-equipped plant biologists ready to solve the pressing issues facing our planet.

Invited Speakers and Proposed Sessions

We have arranged exciting speakers to share their experiences with plant science teaching in higher education involving collaboration and inclusitivity. We encourage interested delegates to submit abstracts in order to share their own work in this area.
Confirmed Invited Speakers
> Steven Spoel (University of Edinburgh). UK Plant Science Strategy and Education
> David Smith (Sheffield Hallam University) and Nigel Francis (Cardiff University), AI in bioscience education: Challenges and Opportunities.
> Katharine Hubbard (University of Hull): Plant Biology Education: A competency-based vision for the future
> Mary Williams (ASPB): Introducing ROOT-and-SHOOT

This event has been designed to maximise delegate interactions so we will organise sessions that promote the sharing of experiences.
Workshop Sessions:
– Sharing Best Practices & Challenges
– Developing Collaborative Projects
– HE 101- Effective Teaching in Higher Education
– Creating Images to Communicate Science
Register as in-person delegate by December 12th

Advances in Nematology 2024
2024-12-05 | The Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BF, United Kingdom
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We are delighted that ‘Advances in Nematology 2024′ will take place as a single-day hybrid event on Thursday December 5th hosted online and at The Linnean Society in central London.
This event is hosted by the Association of Applied Biologists Nematology Specialist Group and invites contributions from areas encompassing all the applied biology of nematology (molecular biology of nematodes or hosts, ecology, epidemiology, management of plant-parasitic nematodes, entomopathogenic nematodes and emerging diagnostic methods).
In 2024 we are bringing back the opportunity for in-person poster presentations at the event venue that will happen alongside 30-minute talks from invited speakers and 12minute talks from those people who submit an abstract.
In order to encourage further discussions we will host an early evening social event in the poster room at The Linnean with drinks and snacks.
We especially encourage the participation of students and early career professionals. There are prizes given for the preferred student/ECP presentation (the Brian Kerry prize) and an AAB Nematology student/ECP poster prize.

Invited Speakers
– Dr Matthew Back F App Biol, Harper Adams University
– Dr Alena Pance University of Hertfordshire
Abstract Submission
We invite abstract submission from anyone interested in presenting their research at ‘Advances in Nematology’. Submitted abstracts will be assessed by the Nematology group and if accepted will be invited to give a 10 or 15 minute talk or to present a poster. In-person attendees are invited to bring a poster to the venue whilst online delegates will be invited to submit a poster PDF into an online poster book.
Abstract Submission Deadline is September 23rd 2024. We will publish the meeting schedule in Early October
SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

Registration opens on July 1st 2024.
In-person registration closes on November 21st but we encourage earlier registration. The event venue has a limit of 42 attendees that will be filled on a please come-please served basis.
Online registration will remain open until the meeting starts.

Applied Tree and Forest Biology Group Webinar: December 2nd
2024-12-02 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/London)
Virtual on Zoom: Monday December 2nd 1pm GMT
Speaker: Dr Gareth Thomas, Rothamsted Research
Using the Odour of Bacteria toTackle Acute Oak Decline
This webinar will have a 45 minute duration with Gareth speaking for 30minutes followed by 15 minutes for Q+A.
Please register for FREE here ->
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrc-6qrTMjEtO12ap9CKs1Vu_DXaY9KHAC
Speaker Introduction:
Gareth Thomas: Gareth is a post-doctoral research scientist with an interest in microbial chemical ecology. He completed his PhD at Rothamsted Research in 2019, working on characterising the volatile chemical signalling from the beneficial soil fungus Trichoderma hamatum. Following this, he worked at Cardiff University, investigating whether the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes could be detected on salad leaves using volatile organic compounds.
His current project is part of the BAC-STOP project, funded by the BBSRC, NERC, Defra and the Scottish Government, working on Acute Oak Decline (AOD); a disease threatening U.K. oak trees. This disease is caused by several pathogenic bacteria, symptoms of which co-occur with the presence of the beetle Agrilus biguttatus, which are hypothesised to be vectoring the bacteria. His research aims to determine the role of microbial volatile organic compounds produced by these pathogens in the behaviour of A. biguttatus, which could enable the identification of attractive bacterial volatiles, which can then be used to optimise semiochemical based strategies to monitor the spread of the disease across U.K. forests. This work requires a range of techniques, including microbiology, dynamic headspace collections, gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), as well as insect behavioural techniques.

Biocontrol and IPM in Uncertain Climatic and Economic Environments
2024-11-12 - 2024-11-13 | University of Leicester, College Court, Knighton Rd, Knighton,, Leicester, LE2 3UF, United Kingdom
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The 2024 AAB Biocontrol and IPM meeting will focus on the potential of IPM technologies to mitigate climate challenges and will explore whether these technologies are economically viable. This meeting has a strong reputation as providing excellent opportunities for early career professionals to present their work. We will maintain this focus whilst inviting contributions from those across academia, IPM industry, government regulators and agronomists/ farmers who actually have the responsibility to maintain agricultural and horticultural productivity. This event takes place at the outstanding College Court conference facility at the University of Leicester. Leicester is on a main trainline from London so is within easy access from across the UK and beyond.

Schedule Information and Invited Speakers

The meeting to begin in the morning of November 12th and finish in the afternoon of November 13th
The majority of speakers will be selected from submitted abstracts but we are delighted to have confirmed these invited speakers. We very much encourage early career professionals to submit abstracts in order to present an oral or poster presentation at this meeting.
Confirmed Invited Speakers
> Dr Robert Finger, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Head of World Food System Center, ETH Zürich
Economic and political prospects for IPM in the shift towards pesticide-free crop production system
> Dr Catherine Bradshaw, The Met Office and University of Exeter
Assessing potential IPM strategies for cabbage stem flea beetle and the implications from climate change in the UK
> Tom Allen-Stevens, British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)
> Chapwa Kasoma, CABI Centre Zambia
Biological control and IPM in LMICs – CABI’s experience on fall armyworm in Africa

Abstract Submission for Oral or Poster Presentations

Abstract submission is available through the AAB website.
Delegates have the opportunity to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. The scientific organisers will review the submitted abstracts and select those delegates who will provide an oral presentations. Any abstracts not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to bring a poster to the meeting.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral and Poster Presentations is September 23rd. We will announce the provisional program by October 1st

Submit an Abstract here

Registration Information

Delegates can register as an in-person or an online delegate. In-person delegates have access to all sessions, catering and social events. Online delegates will be able to watch the presenters using a zoom link through which they will have the option of asking questions using the chat-box.
We offer registrations fees for the following delegate categories:
1. Early Career Professionals (anyone within 5 years of finishing full-time education): AAB members and Non-Members
2. Regular Attendees: AAB members and Non-members
All AAB non-members will be offered free membership of AAB until the end of 2025.

5th AAB PlantEd Congress: Agricultural Biotechnology in the Era of Genome Editing
2024-10-29 - 2024-10-31 | Atatürk Congress Center, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
Plant genome editing is a topic of enormous scientific and political importance as a potential strategy to mitigate the impact of climate change, alterations in plant disease patterns and to ensure nutritional security. This is an exciting time for genome editing as more regions across the globe are allowing for the use of new breeding technologies to generate new crop variants. This is noticeable Europe there are political moves toward accepting the use of this technology. Concurrent with slow political processes there have been rapid technological advances in research labs, where new genome-edited crop varieties are showing promising climate and pathogen resilience. It is now important that these varieties are tested in field trials in order to understand their possible applied impact. This event brings together technology and policy experts to explore how advances in agricultural biotechnology will proceed in the age of genome editing. This is the 5th Congress associated with the ‘PlantEd: Genome Editing in Plants’ project. Between 2019-2023 the COST Action PlantEd brought together experts from across Europe and beyond. These members represented a range of disciplines all with a focus on plant genome editing. At the end of COST Association-funding PlantEd has transitioned to become an AAB Specialist Group. This move aims to keep this community of experts together by sharing relevant information and through organisation of conferences and workshops. In collaboration with the Turkish local organising committee, this event is the first organised by the AAB-PlantEd specialist group. This event will include plenary sessions of talks provided by invited speakers and those selected from submitted abstracts. We will also host a poster session and short tourist trips close to Samsun.

Registration Information

Delegates can register as an in-person or an online delegate. In-person delegates have access to all sessions, catering and social events. Online delegates will be able to watch the presenters using a zoom link through which they will have the option of asking questions using the chat-box. We offer registrations fees for the following delegate categories:
1. Early Career Professionals (anyone within 5 years of finishing full-time education): AAB members and Non-Members
2. Regular Attendees: AAB members and Non-members
3. Any delegate who studies or works in Turkey or is from an Inclusiveness Target Country : ECP and Regular attendee

Abstract Submission for Oral or Poster Presentations

Delegates have the opportunity to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. The scientific organisers will review the submitted abstracts and select those delegates who will provide an oral presentations. Any abstracts not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to bring a poster to the meeting. AAB will also publish a Special Issue of Annals of Applied Biology and a issue of Aspects of Applied Biology that will be associated with the meeting. Details can be found here.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral Presentations is July 15th 2024
Submission deadline for Poster Presentations is August 15th 2024
We will announce the provisional program of oral presentations by August 1st 2024
SUBMIT ABSTRACT HERE

Confirmed Invited Speakers
> Professor Goetz Hensel, Head of Centre for Plant Genome Engineering Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
> Dr Sadiye Hayta, John Innes Centre. Unlocking Wheat’s Potential: Wheat Transformation and Gene Editing
> Professor Johnathan Napier, Rothamsted Research. The long-road from lab to market for Omega-3 Camelina
> Dr Dennis Eriksson, Associate Professor in Genetics and Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
We expect to host sessions on the following topics:
– Gene editing for climate resilience
– Gene editing for food and nutritional security
– Gene editing for pest and disease resistance
– Policy update, public perception and communication of gene-editing science
– Plant biotechnology in the era of gene-editing

Cultivating Wisdom: Agroecology Innovation from Experts in the Field
2024-10-21 - 2024-10-22 | Birch Community Centre, Brighton Grove, Manchester, M14 5JT
Visit Event Website

Collaboration and innovation are key to sustainable growth. That’s why AAB, Organic Research Centre (ORC) and Agroecology Research Collaboration (ARC), which includes the Landworkers Alliance (LWA) are thrilled to organise this event dedicated to the benefits of on-farm participatory research. This event is designed to be of interest to farmers seeking to know what research can offer, researchers aiming to connect with farmers or social scientists and economists who wish to better understand to wider societal and financial consequences of the adoption of agroecological practices.
Over the past two years the ARC has explored the potential impacts of on-farm research in a unique UKRI-funded project entitled ‘Experts in Your Field’. This event explores the specific impact of this project as well as drawing together those farmers, land managers, environmentalists and academics who are excited and/or curious by the potential of on-farm research. This event flips the format of most AAB-events by encouraging farmers to share/present the realities of on-farm research so that researchers can be better informed and both can work together to improve vital on-farm research
Why Attend?

Discover how participatory research can directly improve farming practices.
Learn from farmers as to how and why they have implemented on-farm research projects.
Engage in discussion to gain new skills and fresh insights.
Understand the invaluable insights and data that on-farm research can provide.
Build meaningful cross-sector partnerships that facilitate future collaborative projects.
Share your findings and receive feedback from the wider community.
Understand the financial implications of adopting agroecological methods

The Value of On-Farm Participatory Research
On-farm participatory research is a collaborative approach that brings farmers and researchers together to conduct practical, field-based studies. This method not only ensures that research is relevant and immediately applicable but also empowers farmers with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their farms. This event includes plenary, breakout and poster sessions with an absolute premium on providing opportunities for discussion and networking. It is hosted at the Birch Community Centre in Manchester and catered by a Manchester Urban Diggers (MUD) based locally at Platt Fields Market Garden.
This will be a unique event to which we encourage academics, agronomists, social scientists, economists and on-farm workers to attend and share ideas.

Abstract Submission

We encourage delegates to submit abstracts in order to share their experiences with on-farm research. Abstracts can be submitted for oral or poster presentations and will be assessed by the organising committee. Successful applicants will join a meeting schedule that will include invited talks from academics and participating farmers.
We especially encourage submissions from early career professionals (ECPs). AAB offer generous travel grants to support ECP attendance which we hope will encourage abstract submission.
Anyone not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to bring a poster presentation.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral or Poster Presentations is September 15th 2024.
We plan to publish the draft schedule soon after the submission deadline.
Submit an Abstract here

Biomass and Energy Crops VI
2024-10-01 - 2024-10-03 | ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY, Medrus Conference Centre, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3BY
EVENT WEBSITE
Biomass and Energy Crops can provide feedstocks for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), green manufacturing and construction materials. Biomass and Energy Crops are therefore important for not only renewable energy and transport fuels, but also for the decarbonisation of agriculture and other industries.
In response to the urgency of the climate emergency, biomass and energy crops are becoming an important part of the portfolio of negative emissions technologies, needed for meeting net zero targets. As a result, the size of the Biomass and Energy Crop community has significantly expanded in recent years. For example, in the UK this has been through the Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme, the Greenhouse Gas Removal Demonstrator Programme, the Supergen Bioenergy Hub and the AI for Net Zero Programme.
Our objective is to bring together researchers from these communities in the UK along with researchers involved in similar international programmes, and importantly industrialists and policymakers, to exchange ideas and foster closer collaboration, and to thereby ensure that Biomass and Energy Crops can fulfill their potential for people and planet.
The conference provides an ideal forum for researchers, agricultural advisors, bioenergy industry representatives, policy makers and research funders, NGO’s and environmental organisations to meet and discuss the state of the art in Biomass and Energy Crops, and how these crops can be optimised and sustainably scaled up.
This event includes standard talks but also the opportunity to visit energy crop experiments and demonstrations at IBERS including one of the Biomass Connect Hub site demonstrating different energy crops and varieties.

Download Meeting Schedule (PDF, August 14th)

We are delighted to confirm these invited speakers:

– Jeanette Whitaker (UK Centre for Hydrology and Ecology)

Biomass crops and greenhouse gas removals: research, evidence, and impact

– Luisa Trindade (Wageningen UR Plant Breeding)

– Patricia Thornley (Aston University)

– Gail Taylor (UCL)

– Gerard Tuskan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

– Iain Donnison (Aberstwyth University)

– Steve Hanley (Rothamsted Research)

AAB Presidents Meeting: Cereal Quality for sustainable production and human health
2024-09-17 - 2024-09-18 | University of Birmingham, Exchange Building, 3 Centenary Sq, Birmingham, B1 2DR
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We are delighted to introduce the 2024 AAB Presidential Meeting led by Professor Mike Gooding, who for the past three decades has supported sustainable cereal production through improving quality, resource use-efficiency, and climate-change adaptation.
The human population is heavily reliant on the cereals for food security. Indeed, production of the most popular cereals has outstripped that of population growth over the last 60 years. This remarkable achievement is, in part, testament to scientific and technological advances in crop improvement, nutrition, and protection, and the efforts of farmers, agronomists, and processors. However, there is growing concern as to the effect of the quantity of certain cereal products in the human diet on health. These concerns need to be set against recognised health benefits, and the contribution that increased production has for global food security in times of political upheaval and climate change.
In addition to improving human health, attempts to meet processor and consumer expectations is key to sustaining food chains. Achieving quality criteria, however, often demands special attention to the selection of genotypes, agronomy, and cropping system; while success is also often heavily dependent on soils, weather, and climate. Growing crops for specific markets have, therefore, implications for the efficient use of land and other resources, whilst environmental change will undoubtedly affect the reliability of meeting quality standards.
It is timely that AAB returns to the subject of Cereal Quality. We invite contributions that seek to increase sustainability; through improved understanding and innovation related to environmental, genetic, agronomic, and processing effects on cereal quality and human health. We also welcome systems orientated contributions: more needs to be known concerning the effects on crop quality of systems protecting the soil, and mitigation / adaptation of effects of climate change such as regenerative- , conservation-, and climate-smart agriculture.
This meeting is co-organised by the AAB Plant Physiology and Crop Improvement group and will include awards of AAB Presidents Medals.
DOWNLOAD MEETING SCHEDULE (July 29th PDF)

Past AAB meeting on Wheat Breeding from 2014!

We are delighted to share past conference Aspects papers from a previous AAB event on ‘Breeding Plants to Cope with Future Climate Change’, which explored cereal breeding for quality and climate change. This took place in Leeds in June 2014.
It is useful to journey back to prior research in order to guide future research.
Download 2014 Aspects Papers (PDF)

Registration

Delegates can register for the meeting without accommodation. This will includes access to all sessions, meeting catering and the conference dinner on September 17th.
Online registration is also available for those delegates who are unable to travel to Birmingham. Online delegates are eligible to present an oral or poster presentation.
Registration will open in Spring 2024

Workshop on 'Surveillance and Decision Support in Action' at BSPP Plant Pathology
2024-09-13 09:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | University of Oxford
VISIT BSPP EVENT WEBSITE
This event is organised as a satellite meeting associated with the BSPP Plannt pathology meeting, which is taking place in Oxford on September 10th-13th.
This workshop will take place on September 13th.
Delegates will be able to register for the entire three-day meeting or only for the one-day AAB-BSPP Workshop.
In this workshop delegates will have the opportunity to learn about new perspectives on surveillance and decision support schemes for control of plant diseases.
The subject matter will include new diagnostic methods, sampling methods, integration of disease control with in-field/rapid pathogen detection, weather-based disease forecast models, expert systems, monitoring pathogen populations for changes in traits such as fungicide resistance, arrival of exotic or sporadic pathogens, new disease threats.
Download Meeting Schedule (PDF)
Meeting registration is manged via the BSPP website. AAB members have reduced fees for attending the whole meeting. All AAB non-members who attend this workshop will be offered the opportunity to join the AAB until the end of 2025.
REGISTER FOR THE BSPP MEETING HERE

6th Symposium of Potato Cyst Nematode Management
2024-09-10 - 2024-09-11 | Harper Adams University, Edgmond, Newport, TF10 8NB
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The 6th Symposium of Potato Cyst Nematode Management will cover many aspects, including international distribution, genetic diversity, sampling and decision making, population dynamics, diagnostics, integrated management, biology and application of resistance, use of effectors, rotational control, chemical control, biological control and novel control methods such as RNAi and biofumigation.
Please regsiter as an in-person delegates before August 21st.

DOWNLOAD MEETING SCHEDULE (PDF, July 29th)

Acrylamide and process formed contaminants: A supply chain approach
2024-09-04 - 2024-09-05 | Brussels
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
Acrylamide and other food contaminants are considered a potential health hazards. Acrylamide forms during both industrial food processing and home cooking with the more common inputs being cereals, potatoes and coffee. For years, processing industries have been engaged in reducing acrylamide formation through production process optimisations and establishment of guidelines. The 2017 EC Regulation on acrylamide sets benchmarks on acrylamide levels in food, which are considered to be either challenging or insufficient, depending on who is asked. However, if no drastic action is taken, future regulations may threaten the availability of potentially acrylamide-containing brands. This event brings together plant breeders, farmers, European food processors, toxicologists, public regulators and consumer interest groups to expplore the new economic models needed along the full supply chain.
This event includes plenary sessions of interest to all participants, concurrent and discussion sessions on breeding and processing of specific inputs. We have invited a range of experts to attend the event and also very much encourage abstract submissions from anyone interested in this topic area. We guarantee opportunities for early career professionals to introduce their research in oral presentations and in a poster session.

The driving force behind this exciting meeting is the ACRYRED COST Action, who are collaborating with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) and the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB) to organise the event.

Meeting Information

In-person delegates can register for the two-day event or each individual day. Online delegates will have access to all scientific sessions and can ask questions via text that is monitoring by AAB staff.

Download Program (PDF, August 14th)

AAB-PlantEd Webinar: July 9th
2024-07-09 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/London)
Over the past four years the PlantEd Cost Action hosted a range of webinars in which global experts reported on their research and policy work in the area of plant genome editing.
As the PlantEd Core Group moved to form a Specialist Group in the AAB we are continuing with this webinar series. https://www.aab.org.uk/specialist-groups/planted/
The next AAB-PlantEd webinar is on Tuesday July 9th 4th at 3pm CET, 2pm BST
Speakers
Dr Siddharth Tiwari, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, India: Genome Editing for Improving Nutritional Quality in Banana
Dr Vittoria Brambilla, Università degli Studi di Milano Italy: Gene editing in rice: an Italian journey to bring it to the field
This webinar will have a 1 hour duration with speakers allocated 30minutes for their talk and Q+A.
Please register for FREE here ->
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uceqhpz8pHd2moz-zD3ZrCR8fwWm1n-ed
Speaker Introductions
Siddwarth Tiwari: Dr Tiwari has an academic background of Genetics in Master and Plant Biotechnology in the Ph.D. He completed Ph.D. from National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, India on the “Genetic Transformation in Peanut and Studies on the Expression of Promoters and a δ-endotoxin Coding Insecticidal Gene”. He then joined National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), an institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, at Mohali, Punjab, India in July 2010 and presently working as Scientist F. His area of specialization includes Plant Tissue Culture, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering. His group is presently working on the metabolic engineering of staple crops like banana and wheat for nutritional enrichment by using modern biotechnological approaches like transgenic and CRISPR-Cas based genome editing.
Vittoria Brambilla is Associate Professor in Botany at Milan University. She obtained a PhD in Plant Biology in 2008 at Milan University and worked as a post doc researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne until 2011. She studies the molecular bases of rice flowering, and she is interested in applying NGTs for breeding Italian ricevarieties.

AAB-PlantEd Webinar: June 4th
2024-06-04 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Paris) | Virtual on Zoom
Over the past four years the PlantEd Cost Action hosted a range of webinars in which global experts reported on their research and policy work in the area of plant genome editing.
As the PlantEd Core Group moved to form a Specialist Group in the AAB we are continuing with this webinar series. https://www.aab.org.uk/specialist-groups/planted/

The next AAB-PlantEd webinar is on Tuesday June 4th at 3pm CET, 2pm BST

Speakers:
Dr Tom Schreiber, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Germany
– Engineered CRISPR endonucleases favoring homology directed-repair in plants

Prof. Musa Kavas, Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi, Turkey
– CRISPR-Mediated revolution in the improvement of tomatoes and other fruit crops
This webinar will have a 1 hour duration with both speakers allocated 30minutes for their talk and Q+A.Please register for FREE here ->
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uceqhpz8pHd2moz-zD3ZrCR8fwWm1n-ed
Speaker Introductions
Tom Schreiber: After school and two years of service in the German armed forces, I started to study biology at the Martin-Luther-University (MLU) in Halle, Germany in 2003. I graduated in 2009 working on transcription activator-like effector (TALE) homologs from Ralstonia Solanacearum in the Lab of Prof. Thomas Lahaye (MLU Halle). During my PhD in the lab of Prof. Ulla Bonas (2010-2015, MLU Halle) I continued to work on the molecular mechanisms of sequence specific TALE-DNA interactions. Here, I already got fascinated by programmable nucleic acid binding systems and how these proteins/systems work on molecular levels. After my PhD I moved to the field of synthetic biology in the lab of Prof. Alain Tissier (2015-now, IPB Halle). Here I expanded the repertoire of programmable tools for nucleic acid targeting (amiRNAs, CRISPR systems) and their application for synthetic circuits, metabolic engineering and genome editing in plants.
Prof. Musa Kavas https://avesis.omu.edu.tr/musa.kavas

Biocontrol and IPM in Uncertain Climatic and Economic Environments
2024-04-24 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London)
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The 2024 AAB Biocontrol and IPM meeting will focus on the potential of IPM technologies to mitigate climate challenges and will explore whether these technologies are economically viable. This meeting has a strong reputation as providing excellent opportunities for early career professionals to present their work. We will maintain this focus whilst inviting contributions from those across academia, IPM industry, government regulators and agronomists/ farmers who actually have the responsibility to maintain agricultural and horticultural productivity.
This event takes place at the outstanding College Court conference facility at the University of Leicester. Leicester is on a main trainline from London so is within easy access from across the UK and beyond.

Schedule Information and Invited Speakers
The meeting to begin in the morning of November 12th and finish in the afternoon of November 13th
The majority of speakers will be selected from submitted abstracts but we are delighted to have confirmed these invited speakers. We very much encourage early career professionals to submit abstracts in order to present an oral or poster presentation at this meeting.
Confirmed Invited Speakers
> Dr Robert Finger, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, Head of World Food System Center, ETH Zürich
Economic and political prospects for IPM in the shift towards pesticide-free crop production system
> Dr Catherine Bradshaw, The Met Office and University of Exeter
> Tom Allen-Stevens, British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN)
> Representative from CABI Africa:
Fall Army Work IPM as a case-study for Biocontrol strategies in LMICs (TBC)

Abstract Submission for Oral or Poster Presentations
SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

Delegates have the opportunity to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. The scientific organisers will review the submitted abstracts and select those delegates who will provide an oral presentations. Any abstracts not selected for an oral presentation will be invited to bring a poster to the meeting.
Abstract submission deadline for Oral and Poster Presentations is September 15th
We will announce the provisional program by October 1st

Registration Information
Delegates can register as an in-person or an online delegate. In-person delegates have access to all sessions, catering and social events. Online delegates will be able to watch the presenters using a zoom link through which they will have the option of asking questions using the chat-box.
We offer registrations fees for the following delegate categories:

Early Career Professionals (anyone within 5 years of finishing full-time education): AAB members and Non-Members
Regular Attendees: AAB members and Non-members

All AAB non-members will be offered free membership of AAB until the end of 2025.

AAB-PlantEd Webinar
2024-04-09 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | Virtual on Zoom
Over the past four years the PlantEd Cost Action hosted a range of webinars in which global experts reported on their research and policy work in the area of plant genome editing.
As the PlantEd Core Group moved to form a Specialist Group in the AAB we are continuing with this webinar series. https://www.aab.org.uk/specialist-groups/planted/

The first AAB-PlantEd webinar is on Tuesday April 9th at 3pm CET.
Speakers:
Ivo Frebort (Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic): An update on the regulation of NGT plants in the EU
Bing-Yang (Donald Danforth Centre, St Louis, USA): High efficiency prime editing for new strategies to engineer crop disease resistance

This webinar will have a 1 hour duration with both speakers allocated 30minutes for their talk and Q+A.Please register for FREE here -> https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpcu-tqz0uHNyNWcao7U7Y9vj39E-qbhE_
Speaker Introductions:
Professor Ivo Frébort is the founder of the Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research in Olomouc and from 2010 to 2022 was its director. He is also a member of the Executive Board and from 2020 Vice-president of the European Federation of Biotechnology (www.efbiotechnology.org). During 2014-2018 he was the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the Palacký University Olomouc. Since 2021, he has been a Deputy Director of CATRIN (www.catrin.com), where he also leads the research group of Recombinant Protein Engineering. His research covers broad areas in enzymology, molecular biology and biochemistry, with special focus on the enzymes of hormone metabolism in plants and possible biotechnological applications, including cloning and preparation of transgenic barley (WOS: 128 papers, 3000+ citations, h-30, 7 patents). His lecturing includes Molecular Biology and Structure and Function of Biomacromolecules. He was the principal investigator of a large infrastructure project (€ 35 mil) from EU structural funds and 20 other research projects.
Dr. Bing Yang is a professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri – Columbia, and a member and Principal Investigator at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. He received PhD degree in plant pathology at Kansas State University. Yang’s research areas include developing and applying gene editing tool kits for basic understanding of disease biology of crops, as well as for genetically engineering of crop plants with improved traits. Specifically, his group has developed a suite of tool sets for high-efficiency genome editing in crop plants such as rice, maize, wheat, sorghum and soybean. His research also focuses on basic understanding of host susceptibility/resistance to bacterial infection and using genome editing tools to engineer disease resistant rice varieties.

Horticultural Science: From Discovery to Application
2024-03-26 - 2024-03-27 | University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, United Kingdom
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The AAB Horticultural Quality and Food Loss Specialist Group are delighted to organise a two-day event that brings together researchers working on both fundamental and applied research in Horticultural Crops.
This is a research area undergoing significant transition due to the sensitivity of many horticultural crops to changing climate conditions. Across the world this is impacting where, when and how horticultural crops are grown. As such this event will explore the scientific progress that underpins climate adaptation in Horticultural crops.
This event is a collaboration between the AAB and Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology (JHSB), who are celebrating publication of 100 annual volumes.
The Horticultural Quality and Food Loss Specialist Group inaugurated in 2023 as a follow-on from the BBSRC-funded HortQFL Network. This group aims to bring together academics, consultants and members of industry to explore the challenges of maintaining horticultural quality and reducing food loss.
The JHSB celebrated its centenary in 2019 and in 2025 will publish the 100th volume and is celebrate this with this collaborative event. The JHSB enters its second century with a rising impact factor, attracting worldwide authorship and readership and a firm financial platform. The JHSB is an independent publication not linked to a learned society and its charitable objectives are: “to advance research into the science and practice of agriculture with particular reference to horticulture and assist in the dissemination of the results of the that research work by the publication of a Journal”.

Meeting Information

In-person delegates can register for the two-day event or each individual day. Day One will have a focus on Applied Science and Day Two is a celebration of the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology. On the evening of Day 1 we will host a poster session with drink reception and conference dinner (to be booked as an optional item). On Day 2 posters will remain open for viewing and we will host a JHBS Celebratory Lunch.
Online delegates will have access to all scientific sessions and can ask questions via text that is monitoring by AAB staff. Online poster presenters will be invited to provide a short talk video introducing their research. All posters will be included within a digital poster book.

Invited Speakers and Sessions

Day 1 will focus on more ‘applied’ horticulture with the majority of speakers selected from submitted abstracts.

Invited speakers:

Graham Clarkson, Head of Breeding at Edward Vinsons Ltd. Industry-Academic Partnerships in Strawberry Breeding.

On Day 2 the JHBS invited speakers will explore the following topics:

Session Chairs: Rosemary Collier (University of Warwick) and Tracey Lawson (University of Essex)

Importance of horticultural crops for human health and the status of the food system/supply with a focus on the UK

1. Food and health – Joanna Trewern (Head of Research, ProVeg International)

Transforming UK diets for health and sustainability

2. Horticulture policy – Tim Lang, City University

UK Horticulture: its policy lock-ins and options in the poly-crisis

3. Climate change impact- Gareth Redmond-King, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU)

Climate impacts on UK food imports

Developing technologies to support horticultural production in the 21stcentury

4. Robotics, AI & automation – Simon Pearson, University of Lincoln

Robotics and AI in Horticulture

5. Gene editing – Jim Giovannoni, Cornell University

Exploring genome diversity and targeted genetic modification to study and improve horticultural crops

6. Environmentally supportive crop husbandry – Ep Heuvelink, Wageningen University

State of the art and beyond in greenhouse horticulture and vertical farming

Abstract Submission for Oral or Poster Presentations

Abstract submission is available through the AAB website.
Delegates have the opportunity to submit abstracts for oral or poster presentations. On Day 1 of the meeting we will schedule oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts. All abstracts not selected for an oral presentation will be offered to provide a poster presentation and a short talk.
Abstract submission deadine for both oral and poster presentations is February 1st 2023.
SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT HERE

Crop Production in Northern Britain 2024
2024-02-27 - 2024-02-28 | The Apex Hotel Dundee
The AAB are delighted to organise CPNB 2024 on behalf of the Association of CPNB.
VISIT CPNB WEBSITE VISIT AAB WEBSITE
CPNB 2024 (“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.
We are delighted to be working with the Association of Applied Biologists to organise our 2024 meeting, which will bring the commmunity back together for an in-person meeting hosted at The Apex Hotel in Dundee.
Confirmed Invited speakers
MIKE RIVINGTON (James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK): Climate change impacts on land: a north-south divide
Lorna Slater, Scottish Government Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity
Ewen Mullins, Teagasc
James Brosnan, Scottish Whiskey Research Institute
The scientific presentations at CPNB are usually divided into sessions on ‘Potatoes’, ‘Combinable Crops‘ and ‘Agriculture and the Environment‘.
DOWNLOAD DRAFT SCHEDULE HERE (Jan 2nd 2024)

International Advances in Pesticide Application 2024
2024-01-23 - 2024-01-25 | Brighton Mercure, 149 Kings Rd, Brighton, BN1 2PP
Visit Event Website
The biennial International Advances in Pesticide Application is the pre-eminent conference aimed at researchers, advisors, manufacturers, practitioners and regulators in this subject area 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.
We expect that this 2024 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.
Presentations are encouraged from across the research spectrum, from academic studies, including modelling and theoretical approaches, to practical testing and demonstration.
Any papers submitted as full Offers will be published in ‘Aspects of Applied Biology’ and will be eligible to provide an oral presentation. Any later-submitted abstracts will be offered the opportunity to present a short talk and poster presentation. As a hybrid event we welcome submissions from both in-person and online delegates. Past editions of ‘Aspects‘ can be downloaded here.

Download draft IAPA24 Schedule (Jan 2nd 2024) (PDF)

Registration for Online Delegates is January 23rd 2024.
Register here

AAB Early Career Professional Skills and Science Workshop
2023-12-18 - 2023-12-19 | University of Leicester, College Court, Knighton Rd, Knighton,, Leicester, LE2 3UF, United Kingdom
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The Association of Applied Biologists has a unique cohort of early career professional members as it includes members who work across academia, NGOs and industry. This sets the AAB apart from other societies whose membership cohorts are more homogenous. Therefore we want to organise an event that was relevant for attendees across our ECP members.
We surveyed our ECP cohort and the consensus was that you would like the AAB to organise an event that mixed opportunities to present their research and to discuss skills, careers and training.
Schedule Details

> Plenary sessions where invited seakers will talk about their projects and careers. We will also include a selection of talks from submitted abstracts (preference given to ECPs who are close to finishing their current project).

> Speed-networking session

> Evening poster session with drinks reception and hot buffet

> Training sessions

> Publication advice

Panel discussion session

Elevator pitches where delegates give one minute summary of their project to gain feedback on areas on which to focus.

> Careers advice

Panel discussion session

> Advice on Strategies for developing Cross-Sector Collaborations

Panel discussion exploring experiences working with interdisciplinary colleagues and between academia/NGOs/Industry.

DOWNLOAD PROVISIONAL PROGRAM (PDF)

Advances in Nematology 2023
2023-12-07 | The Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BF, United Kingdom
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We are delighted that ‘Advances in Nematology 2023’ will take place as a single-day hybrid event on Thursday December 7th hosted online and at The Linnean Society in central London.

This event is hosted by the Association of Applied Biologists Nematology Specialist Group and invites contributions from areas encompassing all the applied biology of nematology (molecular biology of nematodes or hosts, ecology, epidemiology, management of plant-parasitic nematodes, entomopathogenic nematodes and emerging diagnostic methods).

The event schedule will be comprised of 30-minute talks from invited speakers, 15 ‘normal’ talks and 5 minute ‘short’ talks and so will provide the opportunity for lots of delegates, both in-person and online to provide a presentation.

We especially encourage the participation of students and early career professionals. There are prizes given for the preferred student ‘normal’ presentation (the Brian Kerry prize) and a student short-talk prize.

Download Provisional Schedule (PDF)

Creating Canopy: the biology and practice of establishing trees and woodlands for people and nature
2023-11-27 - 2023-11-29 | UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, Jubilee Hotel, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, NG8 1BB
VISIT MEETING WEBSITE
Woodland creation has never been more important.
We need more woodland for people to enjoy, for nature, to sustain our timber security and to help reduce the impact of climate change. We need more trees in urban areas for health, well-being and environmental benefits. However the simple act of planting or establishing a tree is not quite so simple as it first appears! What is the right tree for the right site? What are evidenced-based scientific, technical and social challenges and barriers to success?
Underpinning these activities is the need for knowledge of tree biology and ecology, irrespective whether trees are established in urban, rural or wild landscapes. Creating canopy is not just about planting trees as new nature-based solutions are emerging that help us create new tree and woodland habitats through natural colonisation and regeneration. At the present time we are not establishing enough tree and woodland canopy to meeting targets for NetZero emissions and there is uncertainty about the form and structure of tree and woodland canopy cover into the future. Science and technology play a vital role in establishing trees and woodlands.
This event has two phases. Firstly a two-day conference will shine a light on new and emerging priorities, latest research and technical advances related to creating canopy. Second on day 3 we will host a workshop co-organised by the FraxNet Network. Delegates are invited to join for two or three days, either in-person or virtually.
DOWNLOAD PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (PDF): OCT 22nd 2023

Major Themes in ‘Creating Canopies’
· Urban Canopies – merging engineering with nature solutions?
· Natural processes – colonisation and natural regeneration to increase taxonomic and functional diversity
· What grows with what? Tree and woodland establishment in agroforestry systems
· Planting new productive woodlands – biology, genetics and ecology
· A climate of change – genotype and species choices for the future

Invited Speakers
Douglass Jacobs, Regeneration and Restoration Silviculture Laboratory, Purdue University, USA
Estrella Luna-Diaz, BIFoR, University of Birmingham, UK
Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Jo Bradwell, Norbury Park Estate and JABBS Foundation
Kieran Doick, Forest Research
Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Forest Research

Invited Speaker for FraxNet meeting

Michelle Cleary, Senior Lecturer in Forest Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Ruth Mitchell, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Group Lead, James Hutton Institute
Jennifer Koch, Research Biologist, USDA

DEFRA and SFT Travel grants

The UK Government ‘Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) and the Scottish Foresty Trust is supporting the attendance of early career professionals by providing grants to cover travel and accommodation costs. There is a £2000 available which will be shared amongst eliigble applicants. AAB Early Career Professionals are current students or anyone within 5 years of finishing full-time education.
Please download the application form and return within one month of the meeting. Successful applications will need to write a short report that reflects on their experience at the meeting.
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM (doc)

IPM and Biocontrol 2023: Increasing collaboration across the innovation cycle
2023-11-15 - 2023-11-16 | The Stuart Hotel, 119 London Road, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1 2QR, United Kingdom
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The IPM Innovative Cycle involves inputs from four distinct yet interconnected sectors: Farmers/Agronomists, Academic Researchers, Industrial Researchers and Regulators. However practical experience suggests that there are unfortunate disconnects between these parts of cycle.
This event we will bring together participants from across the Innovation Cycle, each of whom are working towards the ultimate aim of developing novel modes of plant protection.
The annual AAB IPM and Biocontrol meeting has a strong reputation as providing an opportunity for early career professionals to present their research. We will maintain this focus whilst bringing together those involved in the IPM industry, government regulators and agronomists/ farmers who actually have the responsibility to maintain agricultural and horticultural productivity.
We are delighted to publish the provisional program for tthis evnt.
DOWNLOAD PROVISIONAL PROGRAM (PDF): OCT 18th 2023
Invited Speakers

– Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Buglady Consulting
– Hazel Doonan, Head of Agronomy and Crop Protection Sector at Agricultural Industries Confederation
– James Phillips, Head of Translation and Innovation Capability. UKRI-BBSRC
– Sean Loakes, Ornamentals Technical Manager Syngenta
– Amanda Porter (DEFRA)

Registration opens on August 1st 2023.
Registration for in-person delegates closes November 1st 2023.
Registration for online delegates closes November 16th 2023.

Plant Food Waste Valorisation –Opportunities and Challenges
2023-09-11 - 2023-09-12 | University of Leeds, Newlyn Building, Leeds
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Hybrid Event hosted at the Newlyn Building, University of Leeds

Globally around a third of total food produced is lost or wasted along the agri-food chain, with consequent high impact to environment, society and economy. In particular, the fruit and vegetable production and processing contributes significantly to agri-food waste generation. This waste is a huge resource for bulk usage as well as specific ingredients including protein, fibre, phytochemicals and others, with many innovative solutions available or being developed. This two-day event conference will provide an overview on current state of the art in the agrifood waste valorization field, trends, opportunities and challenges.

Meeting Themes
>Valorization concepts & feasibility
> Targeting sources and ingredients
> Innovations into material design
> Trends in food, feed and nutraceutical applications

It’s appropriate for the event to be organised at the University of Leeds as Yorkshire and the Humber are the UK’s biggest food producing region.

The event begins at lunchtime on Monday September 11th and end in the afternoon of Tuesday 12th. We include an evening poster session, drinks reception and hot buffet on the evening of September 11th. Accommodation is not included but there are lots of options available in Leeds.

INVITED SPEAKERS

Meryem Benohoud, Technical Direcor at Keracol. https://www.keracol.co.uk/
Dimitris Charalampopoulos, University of Reading. Website
Martin Cockroft, Futamura group. https://www.futamuragroup.com/en/divisions/cellulose-films/
Leonardo Gomez, University of York. Website. Draft topic: Valorisation strategies from straw waste
DOWNLOAD DRAFT SCHEDULE (PDF)

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

We invite submission of abstracts from anyone involved in process of food waste valorization to provide either an oral or poster presentation at this event. We especially hope to link academic researchers with industry practitioners that are using innovative technologies in the valorization of food waste..

We will assembly the meeting sessions, oral and poster presentations from submissions received from both in-person and online delegates. Abstracts should be submitted by July 14th 2023. We hope to announce the meeting schedule with oral and poster presentations by the end of July 2023.
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON AUGUST 15TH 2023

Plant Pathology 2023
2023-09-05 - 2023-09-08 | Edgbaston Park Hotel, 53 Edgbaston Park Rd, Birmingham, B15 2RS, United Kingdom
VISIT EVENT WEBSITE
Professor Rob Jackson invites you to register for Plant Pathology 2023, the main annual meeting of the BSPP – The British Society for Plant Pathology. The meeting will be held at Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th September.
The meeting will feature open sessions based on submitted abstracts as well as sessions organised by Rob Jackson, the RKS Wood Prize, PH Gregory Prize and J Colhoun Poster Prize. The meeting is being jointly organised with Association of Applied Biologists (aab.org.uk) and will feature additional sessions on ‘Climate Change-induced patterns of plant pests and pathogens’.

Provisional Programme is now available (PDF): DOWNLOAD HERE
Confirmed speakers and provisional titles

Charlotte Nellist (NIAB, UK)

Dan Bebber (University of Exeter)‘Climate Change-induced patterns of plant pests and pathogens’
David Guttman (University of Toronto, Canada) ‘Uncovering virulence landscapes and host immunodiversity using effector pangenomes’
Debbie Hemming (Met Office, UK) ‘Improving climate data and modelling to inform plant biosecurity’
Hailing Jin (University of California, US) ‘Cross-kingdom RNA trafficking between plants and fungal pathogens’
Jon West and Kevin King(Rothamsted Research) ‘The pros and cons of different surveillance and monitoring approaches’
Jos Raaijmakers (Unviversity of Leiden, Netherlands)‘Rewilding plant microbiomes for disease control’
Mark Banfield (The John Innes Centre, UK) ‘TBC’
Paul Rainey (Max-Planck-Gessllschaft, Germany)‘Manipulation of bacterial metabolism by mobile genetic elements and consequences for pathogenicity’
Richard Hamelin (University of British Columbia, Canada) ‘TBC’
Rosa Lozano-Duran (University of Tubingen, Germany) ‘How to use six genes to conquer a plant: learning from geminiviruses’
Wenbo Ma (The Sainsbury Lab, UK) ‘TBC’

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