The Society for the Advancement of Breeding Research in Asia and Oceania (SABRAO) has partnered with the Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) to host the conference "Emerging Paradigms in Crop Science and Breeding: Cultivating Sustainable Solutions and Partnerships for a Resilient Future" on 12–16 August 2024, at Crimson Hotel, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The event is co-organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology.
The conference will highlight groundbreaking crop science advancements, innovative paradigms, and sustainable solutions for a resilient future in agriculture. Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), will deliver the event's keynote address during the opening ceremony on August 13.
On the first day of the conference, six plenary sessions will also be presided over by notable agriculture experts from the Philippines, South and Southeast Asia, and the USA. In the first plenary session, Dr. Ajay Kohli, Deputy Director General for Research of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), will discuss Changing Paradigms in Crop Science in Breeding. For the second plenary session on Emerging Solutions in Crop Science and Breeding, the following will be the panelists: Mr. Ramon Rivera, Technical Consultant of the DOST- PCAARRD; Dr. Frisco Malabanan, Technical Consultant of the Philippine Department of Agriculture; Dr. B.P. Mallikarjuna Swamy, Senior Scientist in IRRI; and Dr. John De Leon, Executive Director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
For the third plenary session on Future of Farming: Transformative Crop Innovations Toward Regenerative Agriculture, the speaker would be Ms. Jean Somera, Asia Breeding Corn Product Unit Lead of East Asia & Pakistan Cluster, Research and Development of Bayer Crop Science. On the other hand, the panel discussion on the plenary topic on AI and Digital Agriculture will be led by Mr. Joel Laserna, President and Chief Executive Officer of Philippine FarmFix Solutions, Inc., Engr. Stephen Klassen, Senior Scientist of IRRI, Dr. Yubin Yang, Senior Biosystems Analyst of Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, and Mr. Rodel Anunciado, Chief Executive Officer of Binhi Inc.
Dr. Howarth Earle Bouis, Emeritus Fellow of the International Food Policy Research Institute and 2016 World Food Prize Awardee, will discuss the fifth plenary topic on Crops for a Nutrition-Secure Future. Lastly, the plenary session on Sustainable Partnerships in Crop Science and Breeding will comprise Dr. Manuel Logroño, President and Founder of Maize Life & Farming Sciences (MLFARMS), Dr. Reynaldo Ebora, Executive Director of DOST-PCAARRD, Dr. Eureka Teresa Ocampo, Director of the Institute of Crop Science in the College of Agriculture and Food Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Ms. Francine Sayoc, Director of Asia & Pacific Seed Association, and Dr. Ramakrishnan M. Nair, Global Plant Breeder of the World Vegetable Center (South and Central Asia).
On the second day, technical oral papers and posters will be presented. These entries focus on crop production and management, crop physiology and biochemistry, postharvest handling, processing and utilization, health and nutrition, technology development and commercialization, technology extension, dissemination and Education (TEDE), and socioeconomics.
The third day is dedicated to seminars and best paper competitions. Dr. Annalissa L. Aquino, Managing Editor of the Philippine Journal of Crop Science, will discuss technical writing for scientific journals. Meanwhile, Dr. Naqib Ullah Khan, SABRAO editor-in-chief, will lead the seminar on submitting articles to an international journal.
The CSSP Best Paper competitions on the Upstream, Downstream, and TEDE categories will follow the seminars. To conclude the conference, an awarding and closing ceremony will be conducted, including the oath-taking of new CSSP and SABRAO members and Board of Trustees, as well as the awarding of the CSSP Achievement Awards, Conference Best Posters, and CSSP Best Papers.
Flip through the program and look at what's in store for next week's event!
Fifteen (15) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for Agriculturists will be earned upon completion of the Conference. To participate, please see the registration details at this link: https://forms.gle/Ki47Cm56bCPXAaiH9
