SESSION OVERVIEW

 

Plenary sessions

Opening addresses and keynotes

European soybean session

This plenary session highlights the European footprint in the world of soy. The area of soybean in Europe is growing rapidly. However, imports remain highly relevant for resilient and sustainable supply chains in Europe. What are the special dynamics and requirements of the European soybean market? How can these be addressed? What are the relevant policies for the production and consumption of protein-rich crops? And how does all this affect global supply chains? These are just some of the topics we are going to discuss in the European Soybean Session.

Regional soybean reports

Chair: Ricardo Vilela Abdelnoor, Embrapa, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

Soybean in agricultural systems

Thematic parallel sessions 

BREEDING, GENETICS, GENOMICS, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

 

Soybean pangenome and genetic diversity

Chair: Henry Nguyen, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA

Innovations in breeding technology

Chairs: Jegor Miladinovic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia

Joseph Burton, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 

The session deals with the latest advances and innovative approaches in soybean breeding. Emerging and new platforms and tools for acceleration of soybean breeding will be discussed by selected speakers. 

             

Genomics-assisted breeding

Advances in genomic technologies have greatly impacted plant breeding and are changing the breeding strategies used in soybean breeding. This session will include the topics on uses of genome-wide markers for genomic selection, prediction of superior crossing combinations, and characterizing soybean germplasm in applied breeding programs to improve breeding efficiency and accelerate breeding cycles. 

Chair: Zenglu Li, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

Soybean genome editing

Chair: Robert Stupar, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

This session will focus on innovations and applications of soybean genome editing. This will include technical advances, gene discovery, and trait development. 

Germplasm collections and evaluation

Chair: Li-Juan Qiu, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

Seed composition

Chair: Kristin Bilyeu, USDA/ARS and University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA

Jeong-Dong Lee, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea

Breeding for abiotic stress and climate change

Chair: Volker Hahn, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

Future soybean production depends on the ability of soybean varieties to adapt to climate change. In this session, we will discuss breeding for the associated abiotic stressors such as drought, heat, flooding or increased solar radiation.

Breeding for biotic stress

Chair: Istvan Rajcan, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

The session will cover current topics in breeding soybean for resistance to insects, nematodes and fungal diseases. 

 

WEEDS, DISEASES, PESTS, AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

 

New and emerging pests and diseases

Chairs: Tomislav Duvnjak, Agriculture Institute of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

Tessie Wilkerson, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, Mississippi, USA

This session is dedicated to new diseases and pests that appear on soybeans as a result of changes in biotic factors, primarily climate changes to which we are exposed. The consequence of this is emerging diseases, pathogens and pests adapted to the newly created conditions, which can or do cause more and more economically significant damage.

Strategies for disease, pest and weed control

Chair: Yuanchao Wang, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

Diseases, pests and weeds are important factors limiting soybean production. This section focusses on the molecular mechanisms by which diseases, pests or weeds cause damage on soybean, soybean resistance, as well as developed control measures.

Managing disease, pest and weed resistance

Chair: Daniel Ploper, Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres, Tucumán, Argentina

Advanced tools and sensors for soybean protection

Chair: Asheesh K. Singh, Iowa State University, Iowa, USA

This session will showcase exciting avenues in stress and plant phenotyping using advanced tools and sensors; and include advances in sensing, modeling and actuation using the cyber-physical systems loop, use of smartphone and web-apps, and advances in computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence for stress related research and production. 

 

AGRONOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND AGROTECHNOLOGY

 

Yield and seed composition response to environment

Chair: Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Precision agriculture and yield-gap analysis for resource-use efficiency

Chair: tbc

Using data-driven knowledge for profitable crop management

Chair: Paul Esker, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Soil fertility and plant nutrition

Chair: Hong Liao, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

The session will address major soil and nutrition related factors determining soybean performance such as changes of soil fertility, soil health and soil sutainability in soybean field, nutrient cycling in soybean based agro-ecosystems, nutrient acquisition, translocation and/or assimilation in soybean plants, nutrient efficiency and its regulatory mechanisms in soybean, and breeding for nutrient efficient soybean varieties and its application. 

Soybean rhizosphere and nitrogen fixation

Chair: Angela Sessitsch, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, Austria

In this session we will address beneficial interactions between soybean and associated microorganisms. This includes the symbiosis with nodule-forming and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, but also with microorganisms providing other benefits such as nutrient mobilisation or increased stress tolerance and pathogen control.

Seed production and technology

Chair: Michael Gohn, Euroseeds, Brussels, Belgium and Probstorfer Saatzucht, Vienna, Austria

 

FOOD, FEED, AND NUTRITION

 

Chemistry and nutrition of soybeans and soy products

Chairs: Keshun Liu, USDA/ARS, Aberdeen, Idaho, USA

Carl M. Parsons, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA

This session covers recent developments in chemistry and analysis of nutrients and antinutrients in soybeans and soy products and the latest work and findings in human and animal nutrition of various soy products as foods and feeds.  

Soy foods, soy bioactives and human health

Chair: tbc

Feed and aquaculture developments

Chairs: Mian N. Riaz, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Iani Adrian Chihaia, Independent, Bucharest, Romania

Feed industry is looking to find alternative protein sources to produce sustainable aqua feed. Soybean ingredients have gained the popularity because its yearlong availability, sustainable supplies, and high protein content. This session will discuss soy ingredients in feed and aqua feed production, nutritional advantages and effect on processing aqua feed.  

Soy protein functionality and processing

Chair: Leonard Sagis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

The future is soy-food (Donau Soja)

Chair: Matthias Krön, Donau Soja Association, Vienna, Austria

International consulting companies forecast a global decline in the consumption of animal-based food products. How will consumers and the food industry respond to the reduced role of livestock in our diets? What requirements must soybean cultivars and products meet to contribute to this change in consumption? 

 

BUSINESS AND LEGAL

 

Policy and the regulatory environment

Chair: Donal Murphy-Bokern, Independent, Lohne, Germany

Science and technology provides opportunities but the interaction between public and business policies are crucial to innovation. This is especially true of the soybean.  The aim of this session is to foster dialogue between experts in the natural sciences, policy, and business to find ways forward in governance that advance the contribution of soybean to sustainable development. 

Poster sessions 

Poster contributions presenting the latest research results are considered as valuable as oral contributions. All posters will be on display throughout the whole conference. Dedicated poster sessions will allow for presentations, personal interaction, networking, and discussion between individual poster authors and all conference participants. All poster abstracts from registered participants will appear in the electronic book of abstracts. 

Workshops 

 Soybean for Africa 

Chair: Brian Diers, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA 

• There is growing demand for soybean in Africa but production is limited by low yields. This workshop will focus on soybean improvement in Africa and will include talks on breeding and other research that address the low yields found on the continent. 

Organic soybean breeding (ECOBREED project) 

Chair: Vuk Djordjevic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia 

Introduction to SoyBase (soybase.org), the Soybean Breeder’s Toolbox 

Chair: Rex Nelson, USDA/ARS and Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA 

• This workshop will be an introduction to SoyBase the USDA-ARS soybean genetics and genomics database and the genomics and genetics tools available at SoyBase as well as the USDA-ARS Legume Information System (LIS) database and relevant tools. 

Science for Success: A model program for applied research and extension outputs 

Chair: Rachel Vann, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Knowledge exchange for European soybean agronomists 

Chair: Leopold Rittler, Donau Soja, Vienna, Austria 

• Reflecting the wide range of soil and climate conditions, soybean production methods vary greatly across Europe. In this workshop, representatives from the main soybean producing regions will present and discuss their local approaches, challenges and solutions. Topics addressed: tillage systems, management of weeds, pests, and disease, harvesting, etc. Regional reporters: Terres Innovia (France); Soia Italia (Italy); Agricultural Chamber of Austria (Central Europe); Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad (South-Eastern Europe); and tbc (Ukraine) 

 

Excursions (Friday, June 23, 2023) 

 

• Joint FAO/IAEA Division, Seibersdorf Laboratories, Plant Breeding Unit 
• Food processing and local enterprises tour (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Department of Food Science and Technology / Food processing pilot plant, Landgarten, Sojarei, Evergreen) 
• Organic soybean production (Esterhazy estate) 
• Tours of the Vienna area 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW