Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security
22nd December 2024
22nd January 2025
14th February 2025
21st February 2025
24th March 2025
Abiotic stress, Climate Change, Plant Nutrition, Plant Health, Breeding, Plant-Microbiome Interactions
Stay Tuned! Register for the Conference Now!
Although the call for abstracts is now closed, you can still be part of this amazing conference. Register today to discover how advanced remote sensing is transforming our understanding and management of global landscapes and sustainability. Early bird rates are available until 14 February 2025.
Registration is limited! Once the maximum capacity is reached, any unpaid registrations will be automatically canceled to prioritize confirmed participants. Secure your spot today!
Welcome from the Chairs
Dear Plant Scientists,
We are thrilled to announce an international conference organized by Plants (an open-access Q1 journal), to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from March 31st through April 2nd, 2025. This global event, under Plants 2025: From Seeds to Food Security, is significant as it will bring together plant scientists worldwide to discuss and share their latest research and findings. The world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, just 25 years from now. This calls for a more concerted effort by scientists to increase agricultural production to feed the growing population and maintain a sustainable agroecosystem while increasing crop yields and quality. Also, preserving waterways from contamination due to excessive use of agrochemicals (herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers) and maintaining and increasing forest cover are essential issues. This conference addresses these topics through keynote talks and seven different sessions for presenting innovation and prospects for the future.
As we know, the existence of people is related to the existence of plants, whether they are crops, forests, or wild species. We hope to cover several key areas over the three days of the conference, so we will get the most current scientific discoveries presented by scholars from around the world and discuss the topics addressed. There will be oral and poster presentations, with poster presenters given an opportunity for a 2-minute flash talk before each poster session.
We will have seven main themes at this conference, where presenters can make their scientific discoveries known. Session 1 will deal with plant responses to abiotic stress and climate change; Session 2 will be on plant-microbe interactions; Session 3 on emerging technologies in plant health; Session 4 on emerging technologies in plant breeding; Session 5 on emerging technologies in biotechnology and molecular research; Session 6 on seed technologies and seed enhancement; and Session 7 on plant nutrition.
The conference organizers look forward to having experts in the field deliver keynote talks and invite other experts, postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, and anyone interested in plant research and innovation to attend this conference. They expect world researchers to convene and meet in small groups or roundtable discussions to develop future collaborations to advance plant research.
The conference will be held in Barcelona, a picturesque city where scientists worldwide can unwind and enjoy Spanish culture, food and the seaside. We, the conference chairs, look forward to welcoming you to Plants 2025 in Barcelona.
Prof. Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Editor-in-Chief of Plants
Professor Dr. Fermin Morales, Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants
Professor Dr. Oscar Vicente, Section Editor-in-Chief of Plants
Follow the conversation on X with #Plants2025
Conference Secretariat
Ms. Raquel Sellés
Dr. Laura Perez
Mr. Cédric Spinnler
plants2025@mdpi.com
Event Chairs
Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Department of Plant Science, is a professor, plant pathologist, and Dean at the University of Manitoba. Dilantha is an internationally renowned host-pathogen interaction (i.e., canola-blackleg, canola-Verticillium, canola-Sclerotinia, wheat-fusarium head blight) researcher specializing in the epidemiology and spread of the pathogen on canola and cereals (9186 citations; 51 H-Index; 147 i-10-Index; 203 publications). Prof. Fernando’s core research area is sustainable agricultural systems through disease management. Dilantha studies the host-pathogen interaction at the field and molecular level using traditional and advanced (omics) methods. Dilantha has been associated with the naming of R-genes in canola, introducing a new disease management strategy in Canada. Dilantha has trained 15 PhD students and 17 Masters students who have graduated and found excellent employment in academia, industry, and government research institutions. Dilantha is a frequent keynote and plenary speaker at conferences and grower meetings and sits on several boards nationally and internationally. In 2024, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS). In 2023, Dilantha received the highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability. In 2022, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the Asian PGPR Society. In 2021, Dilantha received the Merit Award for Excellence in Research and Service from the University of Manitoba. In 2020, Dilantha received the highest award for research the 2020 CPS Outstanding Research Award. In 2019, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), USA. Also, in 2019, Dilantha received the highest award for excellence in research on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Dilantha is the founding editor-in-chief of Plants (MDPI) and sits on several other editorial boards in the world.
Fermín Morales Iribas holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Navarra (Spain) and a PhD in Sciences from the University of Zaragoza (Spain). He completed his PhD Thesis at the Experimental Station of Aula Dei (EEAD) of the Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), under the direction of Drs. Javier Abadía and Anunciación Abadía, studying the changes induced by environmental stresses (iron deficiency, salinity, drought) in the photosynthetic apparatus of higher plants. After a brief stay in the laboratory of Prof. Peter Horton (University of Sheffield, United Kingdom), he carried out a postdoctoral stay of about three years in the laboratory of Prof. Ismael Moya, at the CNRS, France, working on discerning which molecules are responsible for the blue-green fluorescence of plants, and their use, together with the fluorescence of chlorophyll and the reflectance of plants, in remote sensing of stress situations. He was National Prize (Francisco Sabater) in Plant Physiology of the Spanish Society of Plant Physiology (SEFV, currently Spanish Society of Plant Biology, SSPB) in 1999. He is currently Researcher Professor of the CSIC and works in the field of sustainable agriculture and climate change. In particular, he is focused on investigating, using physiological, biochemical and genetic variability approaches, how different crops respond to the increase in atmospheric CO2 and in their interactions with the increase in temperature and water availability, all associated and in a context of climate change. He leads at the Agrobiotecnology Institute (IdAB-CSIC) a line of viticulture and climate change. Within this context, prototypes for measuring grape/bunch transpiration and respiration (both CO2 and O2) have been developed and are routinely used for a non-destructive monitoring of the ripening process in grapes.
Dr Oscar Vicente is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professor in the Department of Biotechnology and a research group leader at the Institute of Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Spain. He earned his PhD in Sciences in 1983 from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Following a three-year postdoctoral period at the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Basel, Switzerland, Dr. Vicente moved in 1988 to the Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Austria, where he established a research group working on plant reproductive biology and its biotechnological applications, and on the molecular characterisation of pollen allergens and plant MAP kinases. In 1996, Dr. Vicente returned to Spain to join the UPV faculty, where he currently teaches various courses in molecular biology and biotechnology to Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering students. He has supervised 12 PhD Theses (another two are at present in progress) and the work of many undergraduate, master and exchange students, and visiting scientists His research is centred on the study of plant responses to abiotic stress and stress tolerance mechanisms within the context of climate change, using different crops, crop relatives, and wild species naturally tolerant to stress (e.g., halophytes) as experimental materials and integrating field and laboratory/greenhouse work with physiological, biochemical, and molecular approaches. Dr. Vicente has published approximately 190 indexed scientific papers, predominantly in the Plant Sciences category (Web of Science; h-index: 39). He serves as vice president and coordinator for Spain of the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association (EBTNA) and is included in the ‘Top-100’ Spanish scientists in Plant Science and Agronomy (Research.com). In 2017, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, awarded him the Doctor Honoris Causa degree.
Event Committee
Plant Physiology and Morphology Laboratory, Crop Science Department, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
Head of Plant Physiology and Morphology Laboratory; Head of Postgraduate Studies Programme on Integrated Crop Nutrition, at AUA; Head of PlanTerra Institute for Plant Nutrition and Soil Quality, at AUA. Elected Member of the Greek Agricultural Academy (Presidium member); former Vice President (2019-2024), now Meritorious Member of the International Scientific Centre for Fertilizers (CIEC) in Shenyang, P.R. China. Expertise - Thirty-three years’ experience in teaching, organization, and coordination of undergraduate and MSc courses on plant physiology and plant nutrition physiology. Expertise and experience in crop nutrition dynamics, diagnosis & prognosis; oxygen, sulfur, iron, nitrogen and phosphate deficiency; plant responses to rhizosphere engineering and phytoremediation; stomatal functioning; cell wall metabolism; plant redox biology. The recent years, his scientific interests focus on the physiology of crop agronomic biofortification through foliar application.
Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna professor and member of the Georgofili Academy (Florence). Member of the Società Italiana di Patologia Vegetale, American Phytopathological Society, International Organization for Mycoplasmology, International Society for Horticultural Science, International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) Subcommittee on Taxonomy of Mollicutes, EASIN boards. Invited speaker and chairperson at many national and international meetings and seminars, member of scientific committees of international meetings on biotechnology and plant pathology, referee for numerous scientific international journals. Emmy Klienenberger-Nobel award for distinguished research in mycoplasmology. Research devoted to detection and epidemiology of phytoplasma-associated, bacteria and virus plant diseases. Author of about 400 peer reviewed publications and 60 books or book chapters. Founder and leader of the International Phytoplasmologist Working Group (IPWG) having collaborations with about 40 Countries worldwide. Partner in five EU founded projects and coordinator of the H2020 TROPICSAFE project and of the EUPHRESCO network PhyFor.
Andreas graduated in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Hohenheim (1976), Stuttgart, Germany and obtained his PhD with distinction at the Institute for Fruit and Vegetable Production and Viticulture (1980) from the same University. He dedicated his entire professional life to agricultural research for development in the tropics and subtropics. He worked for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) from 1981 to 2002 on various development projects in Brazil, the Philippines, West Africa, Malawi, and China. From 2002 to 2008, he directed CATIE’s regional genebank in Costa Rica and served as Professor at CATIE’s Graduate School. From 2008 until his retirement in December 2015, he was Genebank Manager and Global Theme Leader – Germplasm at the World Vegetable Center’s headquarters in Taiwan. He is passionate about the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources—key resources for crop improvement and adaptation to climate change. His publications can be found on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andreas_Ebert2.
Francisco Fuentes is a researcher in quinoa breeding, affiliated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. His work focuses on the genetic diversity, breeding, and sustainable utilization of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), a crop known for its exceptional nutritional qualities and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions. Fuentes has contributed significantly to understanding the genetic makeup and breeding potential of quinoa. His research includes the use of advanced molecular tools and techniques to enhance quinoa’s tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. This work highlights the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with modern breeding techniques to improve quinoa’s yield and resilience. He has also explored the nutritional and functional properties of quinoa, emphasizing its role in food security and sustainable agriculture. Francisco Fuentes’ research aims to promote quinoa as a viable crop for marginal environments, contributing to global efforts in combating hunger and malnutrition through sustainable agricultural practices.
Dr. Peng received his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Guelph, Canada in 1991. He is currently a Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, focusing on canola diseases, particularly blackleg and clubroot, at the Saskatoon Research Centre. His research emphasizes understanding pathogen population dynamics, discovering and deploying novel resistance resources, and developing effective disease management strategies. Dr. Peng has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and has received several national awards in recognition of his contributions to plant pathology and disease management.
Plant Pathology: Host-Pathogen Interaction, Disease Resistance and Integrated Pest Management
Dr. Gonzalez-Andujar is a Research Scientist with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC); Extraordinary Honorary Professor at the Universidad Nacional del Sur (Argentina), Elected International Member of the Postgraduate College of Agriculture at the Universidad de la República (Uruguay) and Honorary Member of the Weed Science Society of America (USA). His research focuses broadly on Crop Protection, and specifically on weed management. Dr. Gonzalez-Andujar has authored or co-authored over 400 publications in journals and books, and has been honored with numerous national and international awards for his contributions to Weed Science. Throughout his career, he has held several leadership roles, including President of the Spanish Weed Science Society (SEMh), President of the Latin American Association of Weed Science (ALAM), President of the Spanish Biometric Society (SEB), President of the Spanish Region of the International Biometric Society, and Scientific Director of the International Laboratory on Global Change (LINC-Global).
CIB Margarita Salas, CSIC, Spain
Dr. Maria del Carmen Risueño earned a degree in Biological Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and later completed her doctoral thesis at the Cellular Biology Institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) under the leadership of Gonzalo Giménez-Martín, focusing on cytokinesis in plants. After postdoctoral stays at the University of Marseille-Luminy, CNRS/INSERM in Villejuif (France), and DKFZ in Heidelberg (Germany), she returned to CSIC, joining the Center for Biological Research (now CIB Margarita Salas), where she established her own research line on the plant cell nucleus. Dr. Risueño has made groundbreaking contributions to plant cell biology, particularly in understanding nuclear architecture and dynamics during plant development. She was a pioneer in adapting advanced microscopy techniques to plant research, leading critical services in electron and confocal microscopy, and her lab became a hub for training researchers from diverse backgrounds. Her scientific work includes over 160 publications. In addition to her research, Dr. Risueño has been a prominent figure in scientific societies, including founding and leading the Spanish Society for Cell Biology (SEBC) and contributing to the creation of the Spanish Network for Advanced Optical Microscopy (REMOA).
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences – Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
For about 30 years of academic and research career, Prof. Dr. Mezzetti has focused on different aspects of genetics, genetic improvement, biotechnology and cultivation systems in order to improve the sustainability and quality of fruit production, with particular attention to the possible benefits for the health of the consumer. These activities included the integration between laboratory studies for the application of new biotechnological techniques (cisgenesis and RNAi) and field studies, in different cultivation conditions, to determine the genetic and environmental factors that determine the sustainability and quality of the productions, in particular for strawberry and other berries. Particular attention was paid to the compositional analysis of new products to better determine the components of safety and nutritional benefit for the consumer. He is the author of 245 scientific publications (SCOPUS H-I: 51), of numerous book chapters, manuscripts, and non-indexed extension publications. Prof. Mezzetti coordinated 6 European projects (COST, FP7 and Horizon2020) and numerous national projects from public and private institutions, and as coordinator of a strawberry breeding program he is co-patent holder of 10 new cultivars. In 2009-2015, he was director of the Agricultural Sciences department of the Polytechnic University of Marche. Since 2015 he has been Director of the Doctoral School in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the Polytechnic University of Marche. He received from Web of Science-Clarivate the recognition of Highly Cited Researcher (among the 1% of the most cited researchers in the world for agricultural sciences) for three years (2019, 2020, 2021). For these merits, in 2021 President Mattarella awarded him the honor of UFFICIALE of the Italian Republic.
Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Institute, Hungary
Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland
Prof. Dr. Hanus-Fajerska is Associate Professor at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. She earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences, specializing in Plant Virology, with a dissertation titled "The Impact of Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infection on the Vitality of Tomatoes, Their Regeneration, and Variability Under In Vitro Culture Conditions". Her academic journey began with a Master's degree in Agricultural Sciences, specializing in Horticulture, where she investigated "The Impact of Plant Extracts on the Vitality of Tobacco Callus (Nicotiana tabacum)" for her thesis. Prof. Hanus-Fajerska's work bridges plant biotechnology and environmental science, emphasizing sustainable solutions for agricultural and ecological challenges.
BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
Prof. Dr. Aziz AZIZ is a full Professor at the University of Reims, France. His research topics are focusing on the functional role of rhizospheric microbe in plant health. He investigates how beneficial microbes interact with and prime plants for a robust and systemic immunity and protect them against microbial pathogens, and how abiotic stresses can influence these interactions. He supervised 17 PhD and 6 post-doc researchers and was a part of scientific committees of various PhD programs.
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7616, USA
Dr. Tika Adhikari holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from IRRI/UPLB, Los Baños, Philippines. He is currently a principal research scholar and adjunct faculty member in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, USA. Dr. Adhikari's research interests encompass plant pathology, molecular genetics, soil microbiomes, disease resistance, and genomics. As an inventive plant pathologist, he has mentored and supervised a new generation of scientists from various geographic regions. He has received several awards and fellowships from diverse organizations and government agencies. Dr. Adhikari leads research projects to develop durable host resistance and advance IPM solutions across multiple cropping systems. He has authored or co-authored 228 articles. Moreover, Dr. Adhikari has served as a senior editor and an associate editor for Phytopathology and is currently an academic or associate editor for PeerJ, Plants, and two Frontiers journals.
Keynote Speakers
Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: A Double-Edged Sword for Global Food and Nutrient Security
Professor Saman Seneweera is the Chair of Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Technology at the University of Ruhuna's Faculty of Agriculture. He is a leading expert in climate change biology, with a distinguished career spanning over three decades. His pioneering research focuses on the effects of rising CO2 levels, water scarcity, and temperature changes on plant physiology, positioning him at the forefront of global agricultural sustainability efforts. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Ruhuna, Professor Seneweera pursued a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology at the University of Western Sydney. His early work on photosynthetic carbon metabolism under elevated CO2 conditions laid the foundation for his subsequent research addressing the impact of climate change on global food and nutrient security. Professor Seneweera has held prestigious academic positions worldwide, including roles at the University of Melbourne, the University of Southern Queensland, Australia and Tohoku University -Japan. He was also director of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies, one of the premier research institutes In Sri Lanka. Professor Seneweera has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles, with an h-index of 49, and is recognised among the top 2% of scientists globally. His leadership extends to mentoring over 40 PhD students and securing over $10 million in research funding, significantly advancing agricultural practices and policies. His contributions continue to shape the future of sustainable agriculture and global food security
Invited Speakers
Modern tools for unveiling the genetic basis of prickliness in plants and their application in breeding
Jaime Prohens holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering (1997) and is Full Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) since 2009. His research deals with crops breeding and enhancement, including assessment of diversity, hybridization, molecular markers, genomics, phenomics, quality, resistance to stresses, and evolution. He has co-authored over 200 papers in JCR journals in the subject. He has been senior editor of the Handbook of Plant Breeding series (Springer). In recent years his research has mostly focused in increasing crops resilience for adaptation to climate change and improving water and fertilizer use efficiencies in different crop following multidisciplinary approaches, ranging from improvement of sustainable agronomic techniques to breeding. During the period 2004-2008 he served as president of the European Association for Research on Plant Breeding (EUCARPIA).
Molecular aeromycology: what is it and how can it save the health of crop plants?
Full professor, currently the head of the Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance Team. Her work focuses on the methods of early detection and identification of fungi in the air and in tissues of crop plants, mainly oilseed rape (canola). Research involves classical and molecular characterisation of plant pathogens to explain the mechanisms shaping current structure of their populations. Her team searches for the sources of genetic resistance of plants to pathogens. She also specialises in the use of aerobiological methods in agriculture, to implement early warning systems (DSS) against the infection caused by the spores of pathogenic fungi, based on microscopy and molecular detection.
Learning from Nature, feeding the planet: halophytes as untapped resource for improving salinity stress tolerance in crops
Sergey is a UWA Chair in Plant Physiology at University of Western Australia. His area of expertise is plant stress physiology and mechanisms of their adaptation to harsh environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, oxidative stress, and nutritional disorders. Over his research career, Sergey has published over 460 peer-reviewed papers and successfully supervised to completion 58 PhD students. He is an ISI Highly Cited researcher for the eight consecutive years and was ranked as most cited researcher in the field of Botany in the world in 2019. His H-index is 112, and his work has been cited over 44,000 times. https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/sergey-shabala
Biochar-assisted agriculture: from healthy soil to healthy plants
Dr Pan, born in 1958, has been a senior soil scientist and a biochar expert of China. He has served as the chief professor of soil science at Nanjing Agricultural University and the director of Institute of Resource, Environment and Ecosystem of the university as well as a board member of International Biochar Initiative (IBI). Currently, he is the chairman of the Soil health commission under the International Science Committee on Environment Problems (SCOPE). He authored and co-authored over 300 papers on soil, environment and plant production both in international journal and Chinese journals. He has been listed as the highly-cited world top scientists in agronomy and climate change by Clariviat and world top 2 % scientists by Stanford-Elsevier for the last years.
Dr. Enrico Doria is a plant biologist, researcher at the University of Pavia, and co-founder of bioRESTART, academic spinoff of the University of Pavia, dealing with the innovative and sustainable extraction methods of functional ingredients from plant by-products. He completed his Ph.D. studies Genetics and Biomolecular Sciences in 2007, during post-doctoral research he worked also at the Vaal University of Technology in South Africa and at the Institut des Régions Arides in Tunisia. His research interests are mainly related to the improvement of the sustainability of the food system.
Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universitat Politècnica de València-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain
Jose Gadea holds a PhD in Biology (1997) and is Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) since 2022. Prof. Dr. Gadea is also head of the Seed Biology and Stress Tolerance group at the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Plant Biology (IBMCP) since 2009. His current lines of research focus on the use of molecular and genomic approaches to decipher biological problems in plants, related to response to biotic and abiotic stresses. His group has two main lines of research: a) Seed science: understanding how seeds develop, how they perceive environmental stimuli and why they deteriorate and die. His work has allowed the identification and characterization of genes involved in these processes, that are currently applied to generate crops with high-quality seeds. b) Plant-pathogen interactions: understanding the defensive responses to Xanthomonas citri and Candidatus Liberibacter, two bacteria that cause disease resulting in heavy economic losses to the citrus industry.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Börner is the Head of the Resource Genetics and Reproduction Research Group at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben, Germany, and serves as the President of EUCARPIA, the European Association for Research on Plant Breeding. He earned his PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding in 1988 and completed his Habilitation in 1995. Prof. Börner led the Wheat Genetics Research Group at IPK from 1990 to 1996 and has directed the Management and Evaluation Program since 2005. In addition, he is a Professor at Martin-Luther-University in Halle, Germany, where he has supervised numerous doctoral and master’s theses. His research focuses on seed longevity, genetic integrity, and diversity, and includes managing the Gatersleben genebank collection for long-term storage, multiplication, and distribution of germplasm. In 2019, Prof. Börner was awarded the title Doctor honoris causa by the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland, in recognition of his contributions to plant genetics. In 2023 he became a Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Science.
Dr. Dilantha Fernando, Department of Plant Science, is a professor, plant pathologist, and Dean at the University of Manitoba. Dilantha is an internationally renowned host-pathogen interaction (i.e., canola-blackleg, canola-Verticillium, canola-Sclerotinia, wheat-fusarium head blight) researcher specializing in the epidemiology and spread of the pathogen on canola and cereals (9186 citations; 51 H-Index; 147 i-10-Index; 203 publications). Prof. Fernando’s core research area is sustainable agricultural systems through disease management. Dilantha studies the host-pathogen interaction at the field and molecular level using traditional and advanced (omics) methods. Dilantha has been associated with the naming of R-genes in canola, introducing a new disease management strategy in Canada. Dilantha has trained 15 PhD students and 17 Masters students who have graduated and found excellent employment in academia, industry, and government research institutions. Dilantha is a frequent keynote and plenary speaker at conferences and grower meetings and sits on several boards nationally and internationally. In 2024, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS). In 2023, Dilantha received the highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability. In 2022, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the Asian PGPR Society. In 2021, Dilantha received the Merit Award for Excellence in Research and Service from the University of Manitoba. In 2020, Dilantha received the highest award for research the 2020 CPS Outstanding Research Award. In 2019, Dilantha was named a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), USA. Also, in 2019, Dilantha received the highest award for excellence in research on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Dilantha is the founding editor-in-chief of Plants (MDPI) and sits on several other editorial boards in the world.
Sessions
S2. Plant–Microbe Interactions
S3. Emerging Technologies in Plant Health
S4. Emerging Technologies in Plant Breeding
S5. Emerging Technologies in Biotechnology and Molecular Research
S6. Seed Technology and Seed Enhancement
S7. Plant Nutrition
Registration
In-Person Registration
The conference will be held fully in person; it is not possible to participate online. The registration fee includes attendance at all conference sessions, morning/afternoon coffee breaks, lunches, a conference bag, and a program book. You need to register to the Conference dinner if you plan to attend. Participation in the conference is considered final only once the registration fees have been paid. The number of participants is limited: once the number of paid registrations reaches the maximum number of participants, unpaid registrations will be canceled.
When registering, please provide us with your institutional email address. This will accelerate the registration process.
Important Information
Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes. During registration, please provide us with the same email address you used to submit your abstract(s). Otherwise, leave us a comment in the registration form, providing the email address used during the submission process. In addition, please use your institutional email address for both processes.
In order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as the Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. The Covering Author registration deadline is 21 February 2025. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Participants of the event will be able to download an electronic Certificate of Attendance by accessing their dashboards on Sciforum.net once the event is concluded. The certificates will be found under the "My Certificates" category.
Group Registration: Groups of five or more attendees are offered a 10% discount on the registration fees. To enjoy this discount, you need to complete one multiple registration by selecting the number of people attending in each category (type of registration) during the first step of the registration process. Please note that no other discounts will be applicable.
Certificate of Attendance: Participants of the event will be able to download an electronic Certificate of Attendance by accessing their dashboards on Sciforum.net once the event is concluded. The certificates will be found under the "My Certificates" category.
Reduced fees
If you are affiliated with a university in a low- or middle-income country, you are automatically eligible for a price reduction. However, please note that the reduced price will only be added to your registration when it is processed. This means that you do not have to pay the stated price immediately upon registration, and you will receive an invoice with the price adjustment after you have registered. Below, you can find the list of low- and middle-income countries.
Registration Fees
|
Early Bird Until 14th February 2025 |
Regular Until 24th March 2025 |
Supported documents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic – Research Institutions | 500.00 EUR | 600.00 EUR | |
| Early Career Researcher (PhD completed within the past five years) | 350.00 EUR | 450.00 EUR |
Please include proof of graduation date (Diploma, University profile page screenshot, etc.) |
| Student | 300.00 EUR | 400.00 EUR |
Scanned copy or photograph of your current student ID is required. |
| Topical Advisory Panel/Guest Editor/Board Member of Plants | 400.00 EUR | 500.00 EUR | |
| Non-Academic | 800.00 EUR | 900.00 EUR |
| Start date - End date | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Conference Dinner | 1st September 2024-21st March 2025 | 60.00 EUR |
Free Registration Options
| Chairs, Invited Speakers, MDPI Guests |
Active discounts
Group of 5: 10% discount
Note: Group size refers to the number of registered attendees in the same registration order.
Cancellation policy
| Cancellation of paid registration is possible under the terms listed below: | |
| > 2 months before the conference | Full refund but 60 EUR is retained for administration |
| > 1 month before the conference | Refund 50% of the applying fees |
| > 2 weeks before the conference | Refund 25% of the applying fees |
| < 2 weeks before the conference | No refund |
Disclaimer
In the unlikely event that MDPI deems it necessary to cancel the conference, all pre-paid registration fees will be reimbursed. MDPI shall not be liable for reimbursing the cost of travel or accommodation arrangements made by individual delegates.
Beware of unauthorized registration and hotel solicitations
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to Plants 2025 and that we are not associated with any hotel agency. While other hotel resellers and travel agencies may contact you with offers for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Plants 2025 or Sciforum. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
Insurance
The organizers do not accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property incurred as a result of participation in Plants 2025. Delegates are advised to arrange appropriate insurance to cover travel, cancellation costs, medical, and theft or damage of belongings.
MDPI Conference Admissions Policy
-
All registered conference delegates are asked to always wear their badges throughout the conference.
-
Conference sessions, the catering area, and the poster area are solely restricted to badge holders. Any person attending these areas without a badge will be asked to leave the premises.
-
Badge holders must not allow their badges to be worn by anyone else. Any failure to do so is likely to lead to the badge holder and the person wearing the badge being removed from the premises.
-
Press badges are restricted to publishers, editors, journalists, broadcasters, and web bloggers associated with the conference subject area. Members of the press may be asked to produce accreditation in the form of a photocopy of a recognized press or media card, a business card, a letter from the editor, or an official web address linking to a press release in order to verify their position.
-
Photographs and videos may be taken during the conference. Anyone attending the conference consents to such photography and filming without compensation and confirms that the organizers shall be entitled to use such photographs and videos, which may include photographs and videos of visitors, for the purpose of marketing the conference in the future and for exploitation in any and all media, without liability.
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
Currencies accepted by this event
Swiss francs (CHF) , Euros (EUR) , US dollars (USD) , Pounds sterling (GBP) , Japanese yen (JPY) , Canadian dollars (CAD) and Singapore dollars (SGD)
Instructions for Authors
Plants 2025 will accept abstracts only. The accepted abstracts will be available online on Sciforum.net during and after the conference. Moreover, participants will have the opportunity to contribute with a full manuscript to a Special Issue related to the conference in the open-access journal Plants.
The conference will be held fully in person; it is not possible to participate online.
Please note that abstract submission and conference registration are two separate processes. Please use your institutional email address for both processes.
To present your research at the event
- Create an account on Sciforum if you do not have one and then click on ‘New Submission’ in the upper-right corner of the window; or, click on ‘Submit Abstract’ at the top of this webpage.
- Choose a session that is best suited for your research.
- Submit an abstract in English—the word limits are a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 300 words.
- The deadline to submit your abstract is 1 December 2024.
- Upon submission, you can select if you wish to be considered for oral or poster presentation (or both). Following assessment by the Chairs and Scientific Committee, you will be notified by 10 January 2025 whether your contribution has been accepted for oral or poster presentation.
- Please note that, in order to finalize the scientific program in due time, at least one registration by any of the authors, denoted as the Covering Author, is required to cover the presentation and publication of any accepted abstract. The Covering Author registration deadline is 21 February 2025. Your abstract will be withdrawn if your registration is not complete by this date.
Oral Presentations
Invited talks will be 30 minutes long, including questions (25 minutes oral presentation + 5 minutes Q&A). Short talks will be 15 minutes long, including questions (10 minutes oral presentation + 5 minutes Q&A). Please ensure that your slides are formatted in widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio.
Flash Poster Presentations
Flash poster presentations will take place in a special session in the main conference room, lasting 3 minutes each. Presenters can prepare two to three slides featuring the main figures of their poster, or display their entire poster on the screen. There will not be a Q&A segment following the flash poster presentations. Additionally, a vertical poster board for the poster session will be provided. Further details about poster presentations can be found below.
Poster Presentations
Each presenter will be provided with a vertical poster board. Maximum poster size is limited to A0: 84 x 120 cm / 33 x 47 in (width x height) in the vertical orientation (portrait). Please print your poster prior to the conference. A plan for the poster session will be circulated later. For suggestions on poster design, click the button below.
Publication Opportunities
Visa Information
Please note that you must apply for your own visa application. MDPI is not responsible for any visa application. However, MDPI can provide a Visa Support Letter. To be eligible for such a document, the criteria below must be fulfilled.
Visa Support Letter
- Applicants must have paid for registration and submitted an abstract in order to get a letter of support.
- Applicants must provide us with a scan of their valid, in-date passport that contains a photo of them.
- Applicants must provide us with an academic CV, two references from their institution (contact information including institutional email and phone), and a letter of support from their institution to confirm that they support the delegate attending the meeting.
-
This must be carried out in good time before the meeting; “last minute” requests will not be processed.
More useful information on visa application
Location and Venue
UPF - BSM
Address: C/ de Balmes, 132, 134, 08008 Barcelona, Spain
Plan Your Trip
Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia and is Spain's second-largest city, with a population of over one and a half million people.
Located on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, this city has a rich and diverse history, with its roots dating back to Roman times. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political center of the Western Mediterranean. The city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendor enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona's most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as La Pedrera, the Casa Batlló, and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.
In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games, which brought about a massive upturn in its tourism industry. For visitors, this has translated into the very modern yet incredibly old city you see now in the 21st century, where new elements work to both preserve and celebrate the city’s heritage and origins.
Barcelona has plenty of outdoor markets, restaurants, shops, museums, and churches. The city is also very walkable, with an extensive and reliable Metro system for more far-flung destinations.
Travel
Barcelona is a vibrant and accessible city with excellent transportation links. Whether you're arriving by plane, train, or other means, there are convenient options to reach your destination. Below, you'll find detailed guidance to ensure a smooth journey to the conference venue.
By plane:
The international airport of Barcelona, Barcelona-El Prat, is located 10 km from the city center. It is well connected to major airport hubs in Europe and various locations worldwide. For more information about the airport and flights, please visit the official website: https://www.aena.es. Once you arrive at the airport, you have several options to reach the venue:
-
By train: Take the TRAIN R2 NORD (https://rodalies.gencat.cat). Disembark at Barcelona Sants station. From there, you can either take METRO L5 (get off at Diagonal) or a taxi, available just outside the station. The train from the airport costs EUR 4.60, and the metro costs EUR 2.55. Tickets can be purchased at train stations and metro stops, respectively. A taxi from the station to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 10.
-
By metro: Take LINE L9 (https://www.tmb.cat). which connects Barcelona Airport (both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) to the city. Disembark at Collblanc station, and from there, transfer to METRO L5 (get off at Diagonal). The metro from the airport costs EUR 5.50, and the city metro costs EUR 2.55.
-
By taxi: Taxis are readily available just outside the arrivals area. A taxi from the airport to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 30–35. Alternatively, VTC apps like Bolt and Cabify also operate in Barcelona and might offer more competitive rates.
By train:
Barcelona Sants is the city's largest train station, providing rail services for Barcelona, the rest of Spain, and international destinations. For more information about the station and train services, please visit the official website: https://www.renfe.com. Once you arrive at the station, you have the following options to reach the venue:
-
By metro: Take LINE L5 (https://www.tmb.cat) and get off at Diagonal.
-
By taxi: axis are available just outside the station. A taxi from the station to the conference venue costs approximately EUR 10.
Accommodation
We want your stay in Barcelona during the conference to be as comfortable as possible. With that in mind, we have agreed on a discount with several hotels to make your choice of accommodations easier. Please book your accommodation online and contact the hotels directly with any issues or requests related to accommodation bookings.
We are delighted to announce that the following hotels will offer a discounted price for all Plants 2025 attendees:
Hotel |
Description |
How to book |
 |
A 3-star boutique hotel located next to the emblematic Avenida Diagonal and Paseo de Gracia, the city's most chic shopping area and just 5 minutes on foot from the conference venue. The hotel has a terrace with outdoor swimming pool and gym, parking, restaurant and a museum room dedicated to the Catalan illustrator Ricard Opisso. |
Click below to complete your booking and add the 5% discount code ‘MDPI’.
|
 |
Stay in the heart of Barcelona's Eixample district at the Catalonia Diagonal Centro hotel. just a 1-minute walk from the conference venue. Located next to Passeig de Gràcia and close to the city's Modernist architecture route, the hotel offers excellent connections to various public transport options, making it easy to explore Barcelona for both tourism and business. |
Click below to make a reservation with a 10% discount in Catalonia Diagonal Centro or use the code "CATALONIA10".
|
These accommodations have been carefully chosen to provide comfort and convenience for our guests while ensuring affordability through negotiated rates. Prepare to make the most of your conference experience with our exclusive lodging options designed to enhance your stay.
Beware of Unauthorized Registration and Hotel Solicitations
Note that Sciforum is the only official registration platform to register to Plants 2025 and that we are not associated with any hotel agency (other than those listed above). While other hotel resellers and travel agencies may contact you with offers for your trip, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with Plants 2025 or Sciforum. Beware that entering into financial agreements with non-endorsed companies can have costly consequences.
Conference Dinner
We are excited to announce that the Conference Dinner will be held at the prestigious Gallery Hotel, located in the heart of Barcelona. Enjoy a delightful evening in a vibrant setting only 5 minutes from the conference venue and next to iconic landmarks such as La Pedrera, Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Batlló, and Plaça Catalunya.
Time: 1 April 2025, 20.00h
Location: Gallery Hotel. C/ del Rosselló, 249, 08008 Barcelona
Menu: 60€
Main course options: meat, fish or vegetarian
Please let us know in your registration your main course preference and any allergies or relevant dietary restrictions.
Join us for an unforgettable dining experience in one of Barcelona's most renowned locations. We look forward to seeing you there!
Event Awards
In order to recognize the works presented during the conference in the format of posters and presentations, four awards will be offered to our conference participants, sponsored by the journal Plants. The award winners will be selected by the Chairs and Scientific Committee after evaluation of all selected talks and posters presented at the conference.
We will be offering the following four awards to our conference attendees:
The Awards
Number of Awards Available: 2
Prize: EUR 300 each
Number of Awards Available: 2
Prize: EUR 250 each
Partnership Opportunities
Sponsoring
As organizers, we are excited to create an immersive and insightful conference, and we invite you to be a vital part of Plants 2025. Explore our sponsorship opportunities and join us in shaping the future of plant-related research and innovation.
Find the perfect sponsorship package tailored to your budget and desired exposure in our sponsorship brochure. Simply click on the icon below to access it.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via email at plants2025@mdpi.com. We appreciate your consideration!
Society Collaboration
Are you part of a society that isn't partnering with the conference? Contact us via email at plants2025@mdpi.com to discuss a possible partnership! Noteworthy detail: Members from partnering societies are granted a 20% discount on all registration fees.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
Media Partners
