Feeding the future: Can we protect crops sustainably?

Synopsis

The world continues to need high levels of crop production. These crops need to be protected, in a sustainable way, from the various threats to high yields. The threats are both biological (insects, diseases and weeds) and non-biological (climate and soil). Demands and threats are higher than ever before in human history, as is our understanding of the negative impacts of chemical pest control (for example on biodiversity, water quality and resistance). In this context, the controls on chemical pesticides have steadily increased and many active substances that were commonplace a decade ago are no longer available.

The coming years are likely to see further reductions in the range of substances used. Against this background, the future of crop protection will need to look to a combination of established and innovative technologies. This conference will detail our best estimates of the pressures on crop production in the future and lay out the state of the art in a range of the available technologies: Data-driven farming; Chemistry; Biology and Genetics. The technologies will be illustrated by vivid recent case studies.

The integration of the available techniques into a coherent crop management system will require a great deal from the farmers and growers. The conference will consider the social and cultural constraints and solutions regarding the adoption of integrated systems for crop protection.

Attendees

This conference is geared to all those working in the area of crop protection: farmers and growers; innovation start-up companies; established large corporations; academic researchers; and regulators.  It will be especially appropriate for those working in:

Programme

The full programme will be announced in due course. These are the topics that will be covered:

• Climate and other factors affecting the spread of pests and diseases
• Future trends in the social, political and regulatory situation
• Technological solutions (e.g. precision agriculture, sensors and robotics)
• Chemical solutions (new AIs as well as synergists, generics, formulation)
• Biological solutions (products, biopesticides, biostimulants)
• Genetic solutions (breeding, pest and disease resistant varieties, incl. gene editing)
• Case studies: taking solutions from laboratory to full-scale application technological, chemical, biological, genetic
• Integration: combining new approaches with optimising existing practices
• Big picture discussion session to cover social and technical.
  

Booking Process/Deadlines

Booking terms and conditions

Additional Info

Organising Committee

• James Garratt, SCI/ Enviresearch
• Bruce Knight, SCI/ Innovation Management
• Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, SCI/ University of Cambridge
• John Points, SCI/ Consultant Analytical Scientist
• Liliya Serazetdinova, SCI/ Earlham Insitutute
• Katherine Wotherspoon, Fera
• Neil Boonham, University of Newcastle
• Claire Boston-Smithson, Fera

 
Conference Team
Tel +44 (0)20 7598 1561
Email: conferences@soci.org