
A scholar gives a speech at the 2025 Annual Academic Conference of the China Citrus Society. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]
The 2025 Annual Academic Conference of the China Citrus Society was held from Oct 24 to 26 in Yidu, Yichang, Hubei province. Over 800 attendees, including society members from 13 major citrus-producing provinces and representatives from Yichang, gathered to discuss the high-quality development and latest scientific progress within the national citrus industry.
HZAU Vice President Guo Gangqi noted that the scale, research level, and academic influence of China's citrus industry are now among the world's best. He highlighted HZAU's commitment to citrus research as a priority area, providing focused support to consolidate and advance this expertise.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, HZAU aims to strengthen its citrus discipline by establishing high-level research platforms, cultivating specialized talent, promoting full supply chain upgrading, and enhancing international collaboration. This commitment aims to reinforce China's leading global position in the citrus industry and heavily contribute to rural vitalization and agricultural modernization.
The conference featured five keynote reports and 27 breakout sessions, split between 13 research and 14 application topics, complemented by 79 poster presentations. Discussions spanned the entire citrus value chain, covering topics like germplasm innovation, new variety cultivation, simplified management, pest control, intelligent orchard mechanization, and industry economics.
Delegates also toured local leading enterprises and orchards, witnessing the historical achievements of the Yidu citrus industry. This field experience demonstrated a new model of rural vitalization, driven by citrus cultivation and enhanced by diverse and interconnected industries.