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The 4th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy

Part of the International Electronic Conference on Agronomy series
2–5 Dec 2024
Event's Timezone: Central European Time
Abstract Submission Deadline
23rd September 2024
Abstract Acceptance Notification
27th October 2024

Registration Deadline
27th November 2024

plant breeding, soil health, conservation agriculture, crop resilience, horticultural production, digital agriculture, biological control, biostimulant
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Announcements:

Full Program is now Online! - 4 Days, 7 Sessions

Contacted authors via email, of poster presentations, please send your poster via conference email until 29 November! (iecag2024@mdpi.com)

Zoom Links will be available starting 27 November (Check your spam too!)


Submissions closed!

IECAG 2024 is free to join, secure your spot today! #REGISTER NOW!

Keep an eye out for more updates and announcements about the event!

Welcome from the Chair

Dear colleagues, distinguished agronomists,

We are thrilled to welcome you to the upcoming 4th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy (IECAG 2024), proudly sponsored by the MDPI open access journal Agronomy. In line with our commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this electronic conference provides a unique platform for researchers to showcase their work, discuss groundbreaking findings, and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow experts.

Conference Overview: This virtual conference will be held at www.sciforum.net, a platform developed and sponsored by MDPI to organize and provide technical support for electronic conferences. The virtual format offers the distinct advantage of eliminating the need for travel and its associated expenses, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the conference without any logistical constraints.

Key Themes: The conference will span various key themes, including the following:

  • Breeding/Selection Technologies and Strategies;
  • Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems;
  • Crops;
  • Precision and Digital Agriculture;
  • Water Use and Irrigation;
  • Plant–Crop Biology and Biochemistry;
  • Biostimulation and Biocontrol Microbial-Based Strategies;

Conference Format: After abstract acceptance, authors are invited to submit a pre-recorded video presentation or a series of narrated slides. These materials will be accessible online and open for discussion, comments, and questions during the entire conference. Additionally, presentations will remain available after the e-conference concludes. Authors are encouraged to submit a full description of their work in a conference paper, which will undergo peer review. The accepted papers will likely be published in the MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal. However, paper submission is not a requirement for active conference participation.

Free of Charge Participation: We are pleased to inform you that participation in this conference is entirely free of charge for both authors and attendees. The accepted proceedings papers will likely be published in the MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal, available online on the MDPI website. Selected extended versions of the papers will be published in a Special Issue of the journal Agronomy with a 15% discount on the article processing charge (ISSN 2073-4395).

Awards and Opportunities: The best oral presentation and best poster awards will receive an award of CHF 200, along with an offer to publish an extended paper, in the Special Issue of Agronomy.

We encourage you to explore the conference platform and guidelines provided in advance for a seamless experience. Should you have any queries or require assistance, our dedicated support team is available to ensure your participation is smooth and rewarding.

We look forward to engaging in exciting discussions and hearing new ideas and perspectives from experts in the field. All participants are welcome to join the online conference and contribute to the vibrant intellectual exchange that makes events like IECAG 2024 truly exceptional.

Kind regards,
Dr. José David Flores-Félix
Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

Follow the conference organizer on Social Media

Program Overview

2nd December
2024

3rd December
2024

4th December
2024

5th December
2024

Welcome and Opening Remarks Convening Chair
(09
:00 CEST|03:00 EDT|16:00 CST)
Keynote Talks
(09:10 CET|03:10 EDT|16:10 CST)
Keynote Talks
(09:10 CET|03:10 EDT|16:10 CST)
Keynote & Plenary Talks
(09:10 CET|03:10 EDT|16:10 CST)
Keynote Talks
(09:10 CET|03:10 EDT|16:10 CST)
Session 1. Crops (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(10:20 CEST|04:20 EDT|17:20 CST)
Session 3. Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(10:20 CEST|04:20 EDT|17:20 CST)
Session 5. Biostimulation and Biocontrol Microbial-Based Strategies (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(10:20 CEST|04:20 EDT|17:20 CST)
Session 7. Water Use and Irrigation (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(10:20 CEST|04:20 EDT|17:20 CST)
Break
(1h 40min)
Break
(1h 40 min)
Break
(1h 40 min)
Break
(40 min)
Keynote Talks
(13:30 CET|07:30 EDT|20:30 CST)
Keynote Talks
(13:30 CET|07:30 EDT|20:30 CST)
Keynote Talks
(13:30 CET|07:30 EDT|20:30 CST)
Closing Remarks/ Awards Ceremony
Convening Chair
(12:30 CET|06:30 EDT|19:30 CST)
Session 2. Breeding/Selection Technologies and Strategies (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(14:20 CEST|08:20 EDT|21:20 CST)
Session 4. Precision and Digital Agriculture (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(14:20 CEST|08:20 EDT|21:20 CST)
Session 6. Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry (Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations)
(14:20 CEST|08:20 EDT|21:20 CST)

* CET - Central European Time
EDT -
Eastern Daylight Time
CST -
China Standard Time

IECAG 2024 Program (DAY1)

IECAG 2024 Day 1

S1. Crops

Date: 2nd December 2024 (Monday)
Time: 9:00 (CET, Basel) | 03:00 (EDT, New York) | 16:00 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title

09:10-09:20

Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente
(UPV, Spain)

Welcome by Session Chair
09:20-09:40 Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente
(UPV, Spain)
Keynote Speaker

TBD
09:40-10:00 Prof. Dr. Ana Fita
(UPV, Spain)
Keynote Speaker
Neglected and Underutilized Plants as a Source of Resilient Crops with Bio-Functional Properties
10:00-10:15 Dr. Amarjeet Kumar Sing
(NU, India)
Invited Speaker
Understanding the molecular mechanism of K+ deficiency tolerance in chickpea
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 1: Crops
10:15-10:30 Maria Carpena
(UVigo, Spain)
Selected Speaker
Biopesticides from marine macroalgae against bacterial and fungal pathogens towards crop disease management
10:30-10:45 Asad Muhammad
(NAU, China)
Selected Speaker
Effect of Inoculation Techniques on Production of Potential of Soybean Varieties Intercropped in Spring Maize

10:45-11:00

Kawtar Abselam
(UAlicante, Spain)
Selected Speaker
Assessment of organic substrates derived from marine and food waste for the growth of tomato plants
11:00-11:15

Raju Mondal
(MTCL, India)
Selected Speaker

Decoding the effect of polyploidization on Morus species complex: an integrated transcriptomic and phenomic approach
11:15-11:30 Pending Confirmation TBD
11:30-11:45 Thyago Rodrigues do Carmo Brito
(UTMAD, Brazil)
Selected Speaker
Input costs and volatility price of soybean produced in the state of Pará, Brazil
11:45-13:30 Break

S2. Breeding/Selection Technologies and Strategies

Date: 2nd December 2024 (Monday)
Time: 13:30 (CET, Basel) | 07:30 (EDT, New York) | 20:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title
13:30-13:40

Dr. Dilip Panthee
(NCSU, USA)

Welcome by Session Chair

13:40-14:00

Dr. Dilip Panthee
(NCSU, USA)
Keynote Speaker

Improving Crops Using Genomic and Biotechnological Resources
14:00-14:20 Pending Confirmation
Keynote Speaker
TBD
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 2: Breeding/Selection Technologies and Strategies
14:20-14:35 Mirone Francesco
(UP, Italy)
Selected Speaker
Canopy management as a short-term adaptation strategy to counteract heatwaves' impacts on grapevine
14:35-14:50 Rahul Sharma
(YSPU, India)
Selected Speaker
Identification of Novel Bacterial Blight Resistance in Wild Punica granatum L. from North-Western Himalayas using SSR Markers and Hybridization for Developing Resistant F1 Hybrids
14:50-15:05 Noureddine Chaachouay
(HFUS, Morocco)
Selected Speaker
Exploring how Moroccan farmers in Khemisset province adapt to climate change: perceptions and strategies.
15:05-15:20 Fahim Reza Jhelom
(MAD, Bangladesh)
Selected Speaker
Impact of Auxin and Cytokinin Concentrations on the Induction of Callus and the Regeneration of in vitro Plantlets in Aromatic Rice Katarivogh (Oryza sativa L.)
15:20-15:35 Ana Paula dos Santos Melo
(UEFS, Brazil)
Selected Speaker
The Jatropha curcas as a substitute for Ricinus communis in biodiesel production in the semi-arid region of Brazil
15:35-15:50 Darwish Saleh
(UCairo, Egypt)
Selected Speaker
Stability Analysis of Egyptian Faba Bean Varieties and their Resilience to Variable Environmental Conditions and Orobanche Parasitic Weed Infestation

IECAG 2024 Program (DAY2)

IECAG 2024 Day 2

S3. Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems

Date: 3rd December 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:00 (CET, Basel) | 03:00 (EDT, New York) | 16:00 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title

09:10-09:20

Professor Mirza Hasanuzzaman
(SBAU, Bangladesh)

Welcome by Session Chair
09:20-09:40 Professor Mirza Hasanuzzaman
(SBAU, Bangladesh)
Keynote Speaker
Harnessing Biostimulants for Improved Metal/Metalloid Stress Tolerance in Plants.

09:40-10:00 Dr. Emanuele Radicetti
(UF, Italy)
Keynote Speaker
The use of hairy vetch as cover crop subjected to different biomass management for the cultivation of processing tomato under organic farming system
10:00-10:20 Prof. Dr. Carlo Leifert
(UPV, Spain)
Keynote Speaker
Impact of organic farming systems on food quality and safety
10:20-10:35 Prof. Dr. Amitava Rakshit
(BHU, India)
Invited Speaker
Societal relevance of soil health in defining ecosystem services that contribute to the UN SDGs
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 3: Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems
10:35-10:50 Ronald Kuunya
(UDebreten, Hungary)
Selected Speaker
Examining the correlation between the consolidation coefficient and impact value of dry humus-rich surface soils
10:50-11:05 Piergiorgio Romano
(USalento, Italy)
Selected Speaker
MSW-Compost and Mycorrhizae Interaction in Grapevine Roots
11:05-11:20 Gabrijel Ondrasek
(UZagreb, Croatia)
Selected Speaker
Sewage Sludge as a Valuable Resource of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: Long-Term Monitoring Data from a Wastewater Treatment Plants
11:20-11:35

Elisa Domínguez-Hernández
(NAUM, Mexico)
Selected Speaker

Circular and agroecological practices to improve integrated systems
11:35-11:50 Pending Confirmation
Selected Speaker
TBD
11:50-13:30 Break

S4. Precision and Digital Agriculture

Date: 3rd December 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 13:30 (CET, Basel) | 07:30 (EDT, New York) | 20:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title
13:30-13:40

Prof. Dr. Mario Cunha
(UPorto, Portugal)

Welcome by Session Chair

13:40-14:00 Dr. Yongliang Qiao
(AIML, Australia)
Keynote Speaker
Applications of AI and Robotics in Modern Agriculture
14:00-14:20 Dr. Franco Meggio
(UPadova, Italy)
Keynote Speaker
Use of Satellite Imagery Time-series to Assess Grapevine Productivity Anomalies.
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 4: Precision and Digital Agriculture
14:20-14:35 Marian Butu
(NIRDBS, Romania)
Selected Speaker
Comparative Analisys of Precision and Digital Agriculture Adoption in Romania And Western Europe
14:35-14:50 Antanas Juostas
(VMU, Lithuania)
Selected Speaker
Analysis of the Working Efficiency of Telematics Data of Combines Harvester
14:50-15:05 Tommaso Orusa
(DISAFA, Italy)
Selected Speaker
Assessing Dendrometric Parameters Using GIS and LiDAR Flight Data: A Tree-by-Tree Study in Mont Avic Regional Park, Aosta Valley, NW Italy
15:05-15:20 Benmahmoud Salah
(UG, Tunisia)
Selected Speaker
Use of Convolution Neural Networks for classification of time series of Sentinel-1 chronological data
15:20-15:35 Luiz Carlos Marques Jr.
(UNESP, Brazil)
Selected Speaker
EfficientNet Network, Mish Activation Function and Ranger Optimizer Implementation for Plant Leaf Disease Classification
15:35-15:50 Sam Wilson
(MU, New Zeeland)
Selected Speaker
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Normalized Difference Red Edge could be useful tools for optimising grazing management in mixed pastures.

IECAG 2024 Program (DAY3)

IECAG 2024 Day 3

S5. Biostimulation and Biocontrol Microbial-Based Strategies

Date: 4th December 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 9:00 (CET, Basel) | 03:00 (EDT, New York) | 16:00 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title

09:10-09:20

Dr. Mariateresa Cardarelli
(UTuscia, Italy)

Welcome by Session Chair
09:20-09:50 Dr. José David Flores-Félix
(USalamanca, Spain)
Plenary Speaker
Bacterial biostimulant as a tool to improve secondary metabolites in crops


09:50-10:10 Dr. Catello Pane
(CREA, Italy)
Keynote Speaker
Innovative strategies to improve biological control of soil-borne fungal diseases in vegetable crops
10:10-10:30 Dr. Sara Di Lonaro
(IRET-CNR, Italy)
Keynote Speaker
From Soil to Sustainability: Microbial-based Strategies for Plant Growth and Defense
10:30-10:45 Dr. Arianna Grassi
(UPisa, Italy)
Invited Speaker
Functional diversity of beneficial bacteria associated with mycorrhizal fungi and their biostimulation strategies
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 5: Biostimulation and Biocontrol Microbial-Based Strategies
10:45-11:00 Eva Sanchez-Hernandez
(UValladolid, Spain)
Selected Speaker
Aromadendrane Sesquiterpenoids from Santolina chamaecyparissus L. Flowers: Chemical Profiling and Antifungal Activity Against Neocosmospora Species
11:00-11:15 Praveen Thangaraj
(KARE, India)
Selected Speaker
Bio-Potential Activity of Bacillus sp. from Tomato Rhizosphere Soil against Fungal Growth of Pythium aphanidermatum and Fusarium oxysporum
11:15-11:30 Ileana Vera Reye
(CIQA, Mexico)
Selected Speaker
Biochemical responses induced by SiO2-ZnO nanoparticles in Zea mays plants under water deficit conditions
11:30-11:45

Matilde Rodrigues
(CIMO, Portugal)
Selected Speaker

Biofortification and Increased Heat Stress Resistance of Pea Microgreens through Selenium Seed Priming
11:45-12:00 Mariano Maestro
(FuEDEI, Argentina)
Selected Speaker
Intraspecific variability in nematicidal response of Arthrobotrys oligospora, a natural enemy of plant-parasitic nematodes, and how it is affected by availability of prey.
12:00-13:30 Break

S6. Plant–Crop Biology and Biochemistry

Date: 4th December 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 13:30 (CET, Basel) | 07:30 (EDT, New York) | 20:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title
13:30-13:40

Dr. Monica Boscaiu
(UPV, Spain) and
Dr. Mercedes Verdeguer
(UPV, Spain)

Welcome by Session Chairs

13:40-14:00 Prof. Dr. Yongfeng Guo
(CAAS, China)
Keynote Speaker
Fine-tuned regulation of leaf senescence by peptide signals

14:00-14:20 Dr. Mario Ruzi González
(UPV, Spain)
Keynote Speaker
Agrodiversity in the 21st century: challenges and strategies for conservation
14:20-14:35 Dr. Fabrizio Araniti
(UMilano, Italy)
Invited Speaker
TBD
14:30-14:50 Dr. Agnieszka Hanaka
(MCSU, Poland)
Invited Speaker
Exploring plant responses to metal contamination
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations Session 6: Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry
14:50-15:05 Sabrine Soltane
(MKB, Algeria)
Selected Speaker
Allelopathy and plant gene expressions under Climate Change and Arid Conditions in Africa: A Systematic Review
15:05-15:20 Mauro Commisso
(UVerona, Italy)
Selected Speaker
Unravelling the mystery of the roles of tryptamine and serotonin in Solanum lycopersicum.
15:20-15:35 Tarik Mohammed
(ABBU, Algeria)
Selected Speaker
Phenolic Compounds, Evaluation of Alpha-Amylase Inhibitory Activity, and Antioxidant Effects of Phoenix dactylifera L. Date Seeds
15:35-15:50 Tomas Martins
(UEvora, Portugal)
Selected Speaker
Genome-wide identification, structural characterization and expression profile of AUX/LAX genes during the development of adventitious roots in Juglans regia L.
15:50-16:05 Mikel Anibarro-Ortega
(CIMO, Portugal)
Invited Speakers
Post-Harvest Sweet Pepper Plants as a Potential Source of Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Ingredients for Food and Dietary Supplements

IECAG 2024 Program (DAY4)

IECAG 2024 Day 4

Session 7. Water Use and Irrigation

Date: 5th December 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 9:00 (CET, Basel) | 03:00 (EDT, New York) | 16:00 (CST Asia, Beijing)

Time
(CEST)
Speaker Title

09:10-09:20

Prof. Dr. Sofia Pereira
(CUP, Portugal) and
Prof. Dr. Cristina Calheiros
(UPorto, Portugal)

Welcome by Session Chairs
09:20-09:40 Prof. Dr. Spyridon Ntougia
(DUT, Greece)
Keynote Speaker
TBD
09:40-10:00 Prof. Dr. Cristina Rodrigues
(PLVC, Portugal)
Keynote Speaker
TBD
10:00-10:15 Prof. Dr. Ruth Perreira
(UPorto, Portugal)
Invited Speaker
TBD
Invited and Contributed Oral Presentations

Session 7: Water Use and Irrigations

10:15-10:30 Azdem Driss
(MVU, Morocco)
Selected Speaker
Seawater Desalination for Agricultural Watering
10:30-10:45 Poonam Biswal
(IITK, India)
Selected Speaker
Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Effects on Rice Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Water Productivity Under Varied Irrigation
10:45-11:00 Ana Paula Melo
(UEF, Brazil)
Selected Speaker
Expansion of Agricultural Irrigation in the State of Bahia, Brazil, from 1985 to 2023
11:00-11:15 Pelin Soyertas Yapicioglu
(HU, Turkey)
Selected Speaker
Greywater treatment using agro-industrial biochar: A novel water reuse approach
11:15-11:30

Mian Muhammad Ahmed
(UA, Pakistan)
Selected Speaker

Optimizing Water Use Efficiency in Precision Agriculture for Enhanced Crop Productivity
11:30-11:45 Sonia Purin da Cruz
(UFSC, Brazil)
Selected Speaker
Thermotolerant coliforms and their resistance to antibiotics in water from rivers used for agricultural purposes
11:45-12:15

Break

12:15-12:45 Dr. José David Flores-Félix
(USalamanca, Spain)
Convening Chair
Closing Remarks/ Awards Ceremony

Event Chair

Department of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

Introduction
Bio
Dr. José David Flores Félix started his research work at the University of Salamanca (Spain) in the Department of Microbiology and Genetics, working on the evaluation of beneficial plant-associated bacteria, mainly focused on the interaction of Rhizobia with legumes and non-legume plants. The studies aimed to analyze these bacteria's role and determine the capacity of other beneficial endophytes in the qualitative and quantitative improvement of agronomic production. He received his Ph.D. in 2018 at the same university; after completing a postdoctoral step in this institution, He was granted a Marie Slowdoska Curie research fellowship to join the Health Research Science Centre (CICS-UBI) of the University of Beira Interior (Portugal). Nowadays, he is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Salamanca (Spain) in the Microbial Interactions Group.

Session Chairs

Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente

Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

Dr. Dilip Panthee

Department of Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Mills River, USA.

Prof. Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Prof. Dr. Mario Cunha

Sciences Faculty, University of Porto (FCUP), Portugal and Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESCTEC), Portugal.

Dr. Mariateresa Cardarelli

Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.

Prof. Dr. Monica Boscaiu

Agroforest Mediterranean Institute of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Dr. Mercedes Verdeguer

Agroforest Mediterranean Institute of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

Prof. Dr. Sofia Pereira

Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), Catholic University of Portugal, Lisboa, Portugal.

Prof. Dr. Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros

Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Event Committee Members

Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain

Entomology Group, Plant Protection Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA, CSIC), Spain

Agricultural Information Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute PBAI- NRI, Poland

Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari, Italy

Agro-Industrial Chemistry Laboratory (LCA), University of Toulouse, France, Biological Engineering Department, Paul Sabatier University, France

Agrarian Higher School of Viseu, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Quinta da Alagoa, Viseu, Portugal

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology (CREA-VE), Conegliano, Italy

Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszów, Poland.

Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems-National Research Council (IRET-CNR), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

School of Elctronics and Information Northwestern Polytechnical University China, Xi'an, China.

National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (USDA-ARS), West Lafayette, USA.

College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.

Department of Agronomy, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Florida, USA.

Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Department of Biosciences, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil.

Determent of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.

Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.

School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia .

School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

Engineering Department, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

Tobacco Research Institute (CAAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shandong, China.

College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.

Department of Chemical Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.

National Biological Control Laboratory, ARS-USDA, Stoneville, Mississippi, USA.

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.

Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), University of Adelaide, Australia.

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, SUA.

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology ,Pharmacy faculty, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.

Research Center for Agronomy, Food, Environment and Landscape, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.

Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav Saltillo), Coahuila, México.

Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures: Architecture, Environment and Cultural Heritage (DiCEM), Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Matera, Italy.

Division of Integrated Farming System, ICAR - Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur, India.

National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, India.

Biological Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.

Department of Crop Science, School of Plant Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Keynote Speakers

Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

Introduction
Bio
Oscar Vicente was born in 1956, in Madrid (Spain), where he graduated in Biochemistry in 1976 and obtained his PhD in 1983, before spending a three-year postdoctoral period at the Friedich-Miescher Institut, in Basel (Switzerland). In 1988, he moved to the Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Vienna (Austria), where he established and led a research group, to work on pollen development and its biotechnological applications, and on the molecular characterization of pollen allergens and plant MAP kinases. As Assistant Professor, from 1991 to 1996, he was responsible for several courses of Experimental Genetics taught at the Faculty of Sciences. Oscar Vicente returned to Spain in 1996, to join the faculty of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, where he is at present Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, teaching different subjects in this area to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Biotechnology and Agronomic Engineering. His research interest focuses on the study of plant responses to abiotic stress and stress tolerance mechanisms.

Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.

Introduction
Talk
(Session 1: Crops) Title: Neglected and Underutilized Plants as a Source of Resilient Crops with Bio-Functional Properties

Department of Horticultural Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Mills River, USA.

Introduction
Talk
Improving Crops Using Genomic and Biotechnological Resources
Bio
Dr. Dilip R. Panthee, an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, is a tomato breeder. He became an Assistant Professor at NC State University in May 2008 after working as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. He has released ten hybrid cultivars, 19 breeding lines of tomato, and three soybean breeding lines. He has published over 86 journal articles, ten book chapters, more than 76 abstracts, and research reports. He has received ten various professional awards for his contribution to the scientific community.

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Introduction
Bio
Dr. Mirza Hasanuzzaman is a Professor of Agronomy at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, with a Ph.D. in Plant Stress Physiology from Ehime University, Japan. He has over 300 Scopus-indexed publications (h-index 83, 25,000+ citations) and has edited 20+ books. He serves as an editor for several international journals and has received numerous prestigious awards, including TWAS Young Scientist Award and UGC Gold Medal. He is a fellow of multiple scientific academies and societies and was named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate in 2021 and 2022. Prof. Hasanuzzaman actively contributes to global research on plant physiology and stress responses.

Department of Chemical Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.

Introduction
Talk
The use of hairy vetch as cover crop subjected to different biomass management for the cultivation of processing tomato under organic farming system
Bio
Emanuelle Radicetti is a researcher at the Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Agricultural Sciences (DOCPAS) of the University of Ferrara (Italy). Since 2007, they have been working on different research projects and teaching activities. They obtained a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences in 2012 with a dissertation on “Ecological Weed Management”, working on the effects of some ecological approaches for weed management, such as cultivar choice and cover cropping, on crop yield and weed flora composition. They are mainly engaged in developing and evaluating management practices for improving the sustainability of agro-ecosystems with a particular focus on weed community composition, nitrogen dynamics, and GHG emissions. Such issues are mainly investigated through field experiments performed under different environmental conditions. They are a co-author of 45 peer-reviewed papers in international journals. Moreover, they are a member of the Scientific Committee of Agriculture, Sustainability, and Agronomy, where they served in the organization of several special issues. They are currently involved in many different research and teaching activities at the Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Agricultural Sciences (University of Ferrara, Italy).

Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia.

Introduction
Talk
Impact of organic farming systems on food quality and safety
Bio
Carlo Leifert is the Director of the Centre for Organics Research at Southern Cross University in Australia. He is a distinguished researcher in organic and low-input agricultural systems, holding a PhD in Microbiology from Nottingham University, UK, and a BSc/MSc from Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Germany. His research spans soil management, crop protection, food quality and safety, and the nutritional quality of low-input and organic dairy systems. With extensive industry experience, Dr. Leifert has served as Technical Director at Howgarden Ltd., Scientific Director at Stockbridge Technology Centre, and as an R&D Manager and consultant in food quality and organic farming practices.

Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), University of Adelaide, Australia.

Introduction
Talk
Applications of AI and Robotics in Modern Agriculture
Bio
Yongliang Qiao received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering and automation and the M.S. degree in agricultural electrification and automation from Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China, in 2010 and 2013 respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard, Belfort, France, in 2017.,He worked as a Research Associate with the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. His research interests include artificial intelligence, agricultural robots, smart farming, and intelligent perception. His vision is to integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics with agriculture to realize smart farming. The ultimate goal is to develop intelligent agricultural systems covering "information-agronomy-agricultural machinery" to support sustainable production and promote unmanned farms.

Determent of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.

Introduction
Talk
Use of Satellite Imagery Time-series to Assess Grapevine Productivity Anomalies.
Bio
Franco Meggio is Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science, DAFNAE of the University of Padova. He completed the PhD in Viticulture, Oenology, and Marketing of wineries at the University of Padova in 2008. He works at the crossroads of plant physiology, ecosystems ecology and remote sensing. His main research interests focus on three major topics: i) Understanding leaf-level biochemical processes and responses at the canopy level. He is interested in plant ecophysiology and its adaptation to the environment changes for a deeper understanding on impacts of climate change on tree crops (grapevine, orchards); ii) Sustainable viticulture and environmental impact of agricultural activities. Modeling carbon dynamics in tree crops and quantification of abiotic factors affecting plant physiological processes; iii) Linking remote sensing methods to plant physiology, canopy architecture and biophysical parameters to promote precision viticulture approaches by means of proximal and remote sensors. Member of the Italian (SOI) and International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) he is Academic Correspondent of the Italian Academy of Vine and Wine. Associated Editor of OenoOne he is author and co-author of more than 100 scientific publications concerning viticulture, plant ecophysiology and precision viticulture.

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Italy.

Introduction
Talk
Innovative strategies to improve biological control of soil-borne fungal diseases in vegetable crops
Bio
Dr. Catello Pane is a Senior Researcher at the Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) in Pontecagnano Faiano, Italy. His major research interests include the development and implementation of low environmental impact cultivation methods, the promotion of sustainable agricultural techniques and the technological innovation mostly to improve resource efficiency in plant disease management. In recent years, he has carried out studies on the application of hyperspectral and thermal imaging on crops for the early detection of fungal infections.

Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems-National Research Council (IRET-CNR), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

Introduction
Talk
From Soil to Sustainability: Microbial-based Strategies for Plant Growth and Defense

Tobacco Research Institute (CAAS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shandong, China.

Introduction
Talk
Fine-tuned regulation of leaf senescence by peptide signals
Bio
Prof. Dr. Yongfeng Guo is currently a professor at the Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His research interest includes molecular regulation of leaf senescence and plant peptide signaling.

Department of Biotechnology, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain.

Introduction
Talk
Agrodiversity in the 21st century: challenges and strategies for conservation

Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.

Introduction
Bio
Professor Spyridon Ntougias studied chemistry (Univ. Athens, Greece) and received his Ph.D. in 1999 from the Department of Biological Sciences, Wye College, University of London, UK. He worked as scientific staff at National Agricultural Research Foundation of Greece (NAGREF) and became academic staff in 2009 at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH). He has more than 20-year research experience on environmental bioengineering and applied microbiology, in particular on sustainable bioengineering approaches. He has been involved in 40 international and national research projects (in 20 as Coordinator/Principal Investigator), including EU-(co)funded and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)-funded projects as well as projects funded by regional authorities and the private sector. He has 90 research publications in international scientific journals, 4 chapter books, 1 patent and approximately 90 participations in international and national conferences.

School of Agriculture, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Portugal.

Introduction
Bio
Ana Cristina Rodrigues, with a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Minho, is an Adjunct Professor and Deputy Director at the School of Agriculture at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC). She is an active researcher in sustainable environmental solutions, focusing on nature-based technologies for water treatment, green roofs, and circular economy practices. She has led several national and international research projects, published extensively, and contributes to environmental and biotechnology education programs.

Invited Speakers

National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, India.

Introduction
Talk
(Session 1: Crops) Title: Understanding the molecular mechanism of K+ deficiency tolerance in chickpea

Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Introduction
Talk
(Session 3: Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems) Societal relevance of soil health in defining ecosystem services that contribute to the UN SDGs

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Italy.

Introduction
Bio
She received her MA in Biosafety and Food Quality in 2018 at the Department of Agriculture Sciences, Food and Environment (DAFE), University of Pisa. In 2019 she won a research grant in the field of food microbiology, and she worked for two years in the same Department (DAFE). The activity was mainly focused on study of the molecular and functional biodiversity of microorganisms from spontaneous fermented food and beverages. In 2021 she won a research grant (DAFE) and in the 2022 a research fellowship (DAFE) to study the beneficial microbial communities characterizing different environmental matrices for their use in sustainable agriculture. These research projects were mainly focused on the isolation and morpho-physiological and molecular characterization of beneficial soil microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). Author of 9 papers on international journals, of which 8 ISI and 1 contribution to an international conference. Currently she is a PhD student in Agricultural Sciences, Food and Environment and the PhD activity is relating to the use of microorganisms as biofertilizers and biostimulants for the improvement of plant use efficiency of water and soil natural resources.

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, Landscape, Agroenergy (Di.S.A.A.), University of Milan, Italy.

Introduction
Bio
The main topic of my research is focused on plant-plant interaction and allelopathy as source of natural compound with herbicidal activity and on the understanding of their mode of action through and integrated physiological and metabolomic approach.

Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland.

Director of GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre, Portugal.

Introduction
Bio
Ruth Pereira is Director of GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre (2020-24) and Member of the Board of Directors of INOV4Agro Associate Laboratory (since 2021). She coordinates the Thematic Research Line on Environmental Quality & Risk Assessment (GreenUPorto), and the Research Line on Water Resources, Soil Health & Food (INOV4Agro). RP coordinates LABRISK (GreenUPorto) a certified GLOSOLAN Lab. RPereira has a Graduation in Biology, a MSc in Ecology (UCoimbra 1993, 1997), a PhD in Biology (2003, UAveiro) and a Habilitation in Biology (2016, UPorto). 1996-2006| she was Assistant Professor at Institute of Piaget (Viseu) where she was course director, responsible for adapting courses to Bologna, and by the self-evaluation of a graduation course. 2005-07| RPereira was invited assistant professor at the UAveiro (at 50%). 2007| she was hired as researcher by CESAM-UA (Ciência 2007 program). 2011| she was awarded with an Invited Assistant Professor position at FCUP-UP, where she is presently Assistant Professor. She is the Director and Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the MSc Course on Soil Assessment & Remediation. 2014-19| she was integrated researcher and leader of the Research Group in Risk Assessment: soil and water interactions at CIIMAR-UP. 2018| she was challenged by the Dean of FCUP to launch a Research Centre in the field of Agronomy. Soil ecology, ecotoxicology, soil health & risk assessment are RP research topics. She authored 178 ISI-WOS papers (Hi=39). RP coordinated 6/9 international(I)/national(N) funded projects, participated/participates in 19 (Task/WP leader)/28 I/N projects. 2009-16| RPereira was member of the Panel of Scientific Advisors in Risk Assessment (EC – SANCO). She is member of the ISO (SW) Technical Committee ISO/TC190 on Soil Quality & collaborates with FAO-UN. RP is associate editor of the Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Journal (Elsevier) and editor of Captar Journal (https://proa.ua.pt/index.php/captar).

Registration


The registration for IECAG 2024 will be free of charge! The registration includes attendance to all conference sessions.

If you are registering several people under the same registration, please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual university email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.

Please note that the submission and registration are two separate parts. Only scholars who registered can receive a link to access the conference live streaming. The deadline for registration is 27 November 2024.

Instructions for Authors

Procedure for Submission
IECAG 2024 will accept abstracts only. The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference.
Important Deadline
1. Deadline for abstract submission: 5̶ A̶u̶g̶u̶s̶t̶ 2̶0̶2̶4̶ 23 September 2024
2. Announcement of oral and poster abstract results: 2̶ S̶e̶p̶t̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ 2̶0̶2̶4̶ 27 October 2024. You will be notified of the acceptance of an oral/poster presentation in a separate email.
Abstract Submission
Abstract submissions should be completed online by registering with www.sciforum.net and using the "Submit Abstract" function once logged into the system. No physical template is necessary.

1. The abstract structure should include the introduction, methods, results, and conclusions sections of about 200–300 words in length.
2. All accepted abstracts will be published in the conference report of IECAG2024 in Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal (ISSN: 2673-9976) after quality check. If you wish to publish a full-length proceedings paper, please refer to the “Publication Opportunities” Section.
3. All abstracts should be submitted and presented in clear, publication-ready English with accurate grammar and spelling.
4. You may submit multiple abstracts. However, only one abstract will be selected for oral presentation.
5. The abstracts submitted to this conference must be original and novel, without prior publication in any journals or it will not be accepted to this conference.

Detailed Requirements:
1. The submitting author must ensure that all co-authors are aware of the contents of the abstract.
2. Please select only one presenter for each submission. If you would like to change the presenter after submission, please email us accordingly.
Note: We only accept live presentations.
Oral Presentation and Slides Submission
The slot for the oral presentation is 15 mins. We advise that your presentation lasts for a maximum of 12 mins, leaving at least 3 mins for the Q&A session.
Authors are encouraged to prepare a presentation in PowerPoint or similar software, to be displayed online along with the abstract. Slides, if available, will be displayed directly on the website using the proprietary slide viewer at Sciforum.net. Slides can be prepared in exactly the same way as for any traditional conference where research results are presented. Slides should be converted to PDF format prior to submission so that they can be converted for online display.
Poster Presentation
All accepted posters will be permanently exhibited online in the Poster Gallery.
- Should include the title, authors, contact details and main research findings, as well as tables, figures and graphs where necessary.
- Size in pixel: 1080 width x 1536 height–portrait orientation.
- Size in cm: 38,1 width x 54,2 height–portrait orientation.
- Font size: ≥16.
- Examples of successful submissions can be viewed here at the following links: (1), (2), (3)
- You can use our free template to create your poster. The poster template can be downloaded HERE.
We will reach out to you closer to the dates of the conference with more information.
Potential Conflicts of Interest

It is the author's responsibility to identify and declare any personal circumstances or interests that may be perceived as inappropriately influencing the representation or interpretation of clinical research. If there is no conflict, please state "The authors declare no conflicts of interest." This should be conveyed in a separate "Conflict of Interest" statement preceding the "Acknowledgments" and "References" sections at the end of the manuscript. Any financial support for the study must be fully disclosed in the "Acknowledgments" section.

Copyright

MDPI, the publisher of the Sciforum.net platform, is an open access publisher. We believe authors should retain the copyright to their scholarly works. Hence, by submitting an abstract to this conference, you retain the copyright to the work, but you grant MDPI the non-exclusive right to publish this abstract online on the Sciforum.net platform. This means you can easily submit your full paper (with the abstract) to any scientific journal at a later stage and transfer the copyright to its publisher if required.

Publication Opportunities

1. Agronomy Journal Publication
Participants in this conference are cordially invited to contribute a full manuscript to the conference's Special Issue, published in Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395, Impact Factor 3.3), with a 15% discount on the publication fee. Details of the special issue will be announced here later. Please note if you have IOAP/association discounts, conference discounts will be combined with IOAP/association discounts. Conference discounts cannot be combined with reviewer vouchers. All submitted papers will undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review procedure. The abstracts should be cited and noted on the first page of the paper.
2. Proceeding Paper Publication
You are welcome to submit a proceeding paper (4-8 pages) to MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum (ISSN: 2673-9976) after the conference. Publication of the proceedings will be free of charge.
Authors are asked to disclose that it is a proceeding paper of the IECAG 2024 conference paper in their cover letter. Carefully read the rules outlined in the 'Instructions for Authors' on the journal’s website and ensure that your submission adheres to these guidelines.

Proceedings submission deadline: 1 February 2025

Manuscripts for the proceedings issue must be formatted as follows:
Title.
Full author names.
Affiliations (including full postal address) and authors' e-mail addresses.
Abstract.
Keywords.
Introduction.
Methods.
Results and Discussion.
Conclusions.
Acknowledgements.
References.

IECAG 2024-proceeding template

Event Awards

To acknowledge the support of the conference's esteemed authors and recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments, we are pleased to announce that the conference will provide 5 awards including Best Oral Presentation Awards and Best Poster Awards.

The Awards
Best Oral Presentation Awards and Best Poster Awards

Number of Awards Available: 5

The Best Oral Presentation Awards are given to the paper judged to make the most significant oral contribution to the conference.
The Best Poster Awards are given to the submission judged to make the most significant and interesting poster for the conference.

There will be five winners selected for these awards. The winner will receive an award of CHF 200, along with an offer to publish an extended paper, in the Special Issue of Agronomy.

Sponsors and Partners


For information regarding sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please click here.

Organizers


Media Partners

Conference Secretariat

Mr. Spatar Ionut
Mr. Grover Gao
Email: iecag2024@mdpi.com

For inquiries regarding submissions and sponsorship opportunities, please feel free to contact us.
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