A group of 22 teachers and students from the National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops of Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) recently attended the 15th International Citrus –Congress in Jeju Island, South Korea.

The congress, which was held from Nov 10 to 15, was hosted by the International Society of Citriculture (ISC) and organized by the Korean Society for Citrus and Subtropical Climate Fruit (KSCSCF).

The theme of the conference was "Human-healthily, Environment-friendly, Industry-productively". About 600 scholars and representatives of research institutions and companies from China, South Korea, the United States, Italy and other countries attended the meeting.

The conference arranged seven invited keynote presentations, 230 sub-theme reports, 398 conference abstracts, 159 academic posters, as well as a visit to the citrus park and the "Jeju International Citrus Expo".

HZAU Professor Zhang Fei delivered two reports on behalf of academician Deng Xiuxin at the conference, titled "The changes and future of citrus industry in China" and "Citrus germplasm exploration promoted research and sustainable development of citriculture". Another professor Xu Qiang delivered a keynote speech entitled "5G-driven understanding of citrus key traits & future breeding".

Guo Wenwu was invited to preside over the biotechnology sub-forum. He made a presentation entitled "Utilization of Satsuma mandarin male sterility by cell engineering for citrus seedless breeding" and two other presentations.

HZAU faculty representatives Liu Jihong, Zhang Hongyu, Wu Xiaomeng, Xie Kaidong and Chen Jiajing, as well as three post-doctors and three doctoral students made presentations on citrus cold stress, citrus pest control, citrus polyplast breeding and asexogenesis, citrus quality formation and metabolic regulation.

In addition, Zhu Feng, professor at HZAU, recommended Horticulture Advances, an all-English academic journal sponsored by HZAU to the audiences.

Xu Qiang delivers a keynote speech at the International Citrus Congress. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

The International Citrus Congress is held every four years, bringing together citrus researchers and enterprise representatives from all over the world to discuss the industrial development and the research progress. The next congress will be held in Sicily, Italy in 2028.