Opening addresses and keynotes 

• Ricardo Abdelnoor, EMBRAPA, Brazil
• Matthias Krön, Donau Soja, Austria   
• Norbert Totschnig, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management 
• Leonore Gewessler; Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology 

Soybean research for sustainable development Chair: Kristin Bilyeu, USDA/ARS and University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA 

Scientific research is the major engine which ensures progress in soybean production and utilization for meeting the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. While FAO will present a global perspective on soybean challenges and achievements, a leading soybean research representative will provide insights into present and future technologies for sustainable soybean production. 

• Jingyuan Xia, Director of Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO, Italy, Optimization and minimization towards sustainable soybean production 
• Istvan Rajcan, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; "Classical and modern technologies used world-wide for sustainable soybean production" 

European soybean session
Chair: Matthias Krön, Donau Soja, Austria

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.

• Changing protein patterns. Ruud Tijssens, Agrifirm, the Netherlands 
• Production and processing of soybean in Europe. Leopold Rittler, Donau Soja, Austria 
• The place of soybean in the European agricultural research system. Donal Murphy-Bokern, self-employed, Germany 
• Soybean breeding in Europe: Methods, sources and utilization. Jegor Miladinovic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia 

 

Panel discussion 

• Mattias Krön, Donau Soja, Austria 
• Rene van der Poel, ADM, Germany 
• Will Schreiber, 3Keel, United Kingdom 
• Lieven Callewaert, Collaborative Soy Initiative, the Netherlands 
• Ruud Tijssens, Agrifirm, The Netherlands
• Moritz Teriete, Soy Network Switzerland, Switzerland 

 

Soybean in agricultural systems
Chair:  Leopold Rittler, Donau Soja, Austria; Moderation: Helmut Gaugitsch; Head of Scientific Management Biodiversity - Environment Agency, Austria
 As the global climate and biodiversity crisis deepens, there is growing interest in more comprehensive and sustainable farming approaches such as regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and carbon farming. This plenary session will explore how soybean cultivation can fit into these systemic approaches. The session will also examine the role of markets and policies in incentivizing sustainable farming approaches, exploring regulatory and market-driven initiatives. Speakers and panellists will discuss what is perceived as beneficial by producers and the market, and how to avoid greenwashing. Join us for an engaging and informative discussion on the future of soybean cultivation in the context of sustainable agriculture. 

• Potentials and challenges of regenerative farming systems for climate change adaptation in crop production; Gernot Bodner, BOKU, Austria 
• Soybean within the no-till system: a farmers’ perspective. Marcelo Torres, Aapresid, Argentina 
• Defining regenerative agriculture and opportunities for soy. Emily Scott, 3Keel Group Limited, United Kingdom 

  

Panel discussion 

• Marcos Lana, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sweden 
• Iryna Brovko, Institute of Agrobiology, Ukraine 
• Marcelo Torres, Aapresid, Argentina 
• Gernot Bodner, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Austria 
• Emily Scott, 3Keel Group Limited, United Kingdom 

 

Regional soybean reports

Chair: Ricardo Vilela Abdelnoor, Embrapa, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
Representatives from different soybean growing regions will address latest developments and problems of soybean production and utilization. The session will include speakers from regions or individual countries covering North America, Central and South America, Continental Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia as well as Asian and Oceanian island countries.
 

North America

• RR-01 Canada: Nicole Mackellar, Soy Canada, Ontario, Canada 
• RR-02 United States: Brian Diers, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA 

South America

• RR-03 Argentina: Rodolfo Rossi, ACSOJA – Argentine Soybean Chain Association, Santa Fe, Argentina
• RR-04 Brazil: Decio Gazzoni, Embrapa, Londrina, Brazil 

Asia/Africa

• RR-05 East Asia & Australia Report: Tianfu Han, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
• RR-06 India & Africa Report: Gyanesh Kumar Satpute, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research, India 

Soybean pangenome and genetic diversity
Chair: Henry Nguyen, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
This session will highlight recent advances in soybean pangenomics, global HapMap, and application of new genomic resources for the understanding of domestication and genetic diversity for trait discovery 

• Soybean pangenomics: global variation map for enhanced haplotype-based trait mapping; Henry Nguyen, University of Missouri, USA
• Evaluation and harnessing of diversity in soybean using the omics-based high-throughput strategies; Yinghui Li, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
• Improving wild germplasm utility using telomere-to-telomere assemblies and pangenomic graphs; Justin Vaughn, USDA-ARS and University of Georgia, USA
• Genetic and genomic bases of soybean domestication and diversification;  Jianxin Ma, Purdue University, USA

Innovations in breeding technology

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

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. 
 

• SoyMAGIC: An 8-Parent Multi-Parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross Population for Soybean Genetic Studies and Breeding Activities; Milad Eskandari, University of Guelph, Canada
• Mapping and Selection for Yield Stability in Soybeans; David L. Hyten, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA 
• Tilling by sequencing to improve seed traits in soybean; Khalid Meksem, Southern Illinois University, USA 
• Digital Solutions in Plant Breeding; Maximilian Mayer, Wintersteiger, Austria 

             

Genomics-assisted breeding

Chairs: Zenglu Li, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA;
Xia Li, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China 

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. 

• Using genomic data and machine learning to accurately predict the most promising crosses for multiple key traits of interest; François Belzile, Laval University, Canada
• New technologies enabling design-centered products at Bayer; Benjamin B. Stewart-Brown, Bayer Crop Science, USA
• Applied genomics for identification of causative mutations for accelerated soybean breeding and improvement; Mária Škrabišová, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic 
• Genomics-enabled breeding design and selection to improve the rate of genetic gain in soybean; Zenglu Li, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

 

Seed composition

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

Jeong-Dong Lee, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
The Seed Composition session will cover research to improve the quality and value of soybean seed oil and meal through changes in fatty acid composition and protein content as well as other composition improvements that may impact the plant-based protein space. 

• Fine mapping and cloning of the major seed protein locus on chromosome 20; Brian Diers University of Illinois, USA
• Identification of a potential gene for elevating ω-3 concentration and its efficiency for improving the  ω-6 / ω-3 ratio in soybean; Jo Hyun Kyungpook National University Republic of Korea
• Identification of the genes controlling yield and seed quality in soybean; Tian Zhixi Chinese Academy of Sciences, China 
• A single amino acid mutation in a transcriptional repressor increases oil and protein content in soybean; Bo Shen, Corteva, USA
• Differential gene expression of higher latitudes in soybean;  Bahram Samanfar, Agriculture And Agri-food Canada 
• GmJAZ3 interacts with GmRR18a and GmMYC2a to regulate seed traits in soybean;  Jian-Jun Tao,  Chinese Academy of Sciences 

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. 
 

• Understanding nutrient uptake and resilience mechanism to water deficit conditions through gene-editing in soybean; Gunvant B. Patil, Texas Tech University, USA
• Accelerating gene discovery in soybean through genome editing; Minviluz G. Stacey, University of Missouri, USA
• Chromosome engineering for crop improvement; Sergei Svitashev Corteva Agriscience, USA
• The first two elite soybean varieties genetically edited in South America; Polyana Martins, GDM Seeds, Brazil

 

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. 

• Genomic regions associated with C13 ratio and plasticity for improving water use efficiency in soybean; Larry Purcell and Jason Gillman, University of Arkansas, USA
• Adaptation of European cultivars to severe drought and moisture-favourable conditions; Danielle Cavalli, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Italy
• GWAS analysis reveal key loci associated with drought and water logging tolerance and root trait architecture in soybean; Milind Ratnaparkhe, Indian Institute of Soybean Research,  India
• Legume Biotechnology-Reducing impact of climate change on soybean; Prem Bhalla, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Genetic Diversity of Heat Stress Tolerance in Soybean; Liza van der Laan, Iowa State University, USA

Germplasm collections and evaluation

Chairs: Li-Juan Qiu, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Qijian Song, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center USDA-ARS, USA
The collection and evaluation of soybean germplasm plays a vital role on enhancing both yield and quality, as well as promoting tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress factors. This session will highlight on the innovative evaluation methods and tools, genetic diversity on omics levels, and exciting prospects of utilization of favorite trait or gene for genetic research and breeding in soybean.

• Building bridge between genomics and phenomics: discovering favorite alleles of Chinese soybean collections for breeding;  Lijuan Qiu, Institute of Crop Sciences, CAAS, China
•  Allele mining for yield and agronomic traits using a givers GWAS panel made up of modern Canadian and Chinese cultivars and the progeny of their crosses;  Istvan Rajcan, University of Guelph, Canada  
• Genetic diversity in early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans: A comparative analysis. Xindong Yao, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria 
• Development of genotyping tools for soybean germplasm genetic research; Qijian Song, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center USDA-ARS, USA 

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. 

• New molecular tools for breeding Phytophthora sojae resistance in soybean; Richard Bélanger, Université Laval, Canada
• Exploring soybean-soybean aphid interactions and the molecular effects of gene pyramiding; Gustavo MacIntosh, Iowa State University, USA
• Breeding for resistance to soybean diseases in Michigan; Dechun Wang, Michigan State University, USA
• Integrating Transgenic and Native Resistance for Nematode Management; Geeta Menon, BASF, USA

Workshops:

Organic soybean breeding (ECOBREED) 

Chair: Vuk Djordjevic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia
Two student workshops on advanced genotyping and phenotyping will be held within a special WSRC-ECOBREED cooperation in which the ECOBREED project is covering the conference fee. This requires a specific application of eligible student participants through the conference registration procedure.

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. 

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.  

• The untapped potential of soybeans for human nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa, Juan E. Andrade Laborde, University of Florida, USA
• Novel and simple method to determine contents of Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and Bowman-Birk inhibitor in soybeans;  Keshun Liu, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA
• Effect of digestible essential to non-essential amino acids ratio on soybean meal productive energy (Arkansas Net Energy) in broilers: Implications beyond metabolizable and classic net energy; Craig N. Coon,  University of Arkansas, USA

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.

• Fermented soybean meal and soy quality control for aqua feeds , Jan Van Eys, USSEC Europe, France 
• Soy industry 4.0 is here; Is Europe ahead in rethinking innovation in value-added soy products? Iani Chihaia, Independent Consultant, Romania
• Aqua feed extrusion with soy-based ingredients. Mian N. Riaz, Texas A&M University, USA
• The use of ultra high protein, low oligosaccharides soybean meals varieties in aquaculture, Jorge Gallardo, Benson Hill, USA
• The case of novel ingredients in the feed and food industry:  how to approach novelty Dr. Sergio Nates, Prairie Aquatech, USA 

 

The future of soy is food

Chair: Matthias Krön, Donau Soja Association, Vienna, Austria
Moderator: Axel Grunt

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? 

• Age of meat coming to an end?! The future of soy is food; Mathilde Alexandre, ProVeg International, Germany

 

• Panel discussion – industry & products

What do soy-based products need to fulfil to play a successful role in this changing environment?

• Roland Snel, ADM, The Netherlands
• Thomas Landert, Wenger Manufacturing, Switzerland
• Martin Krenn, Bühler Group, Austria
• Atsuto Ono, Someno's TOFU, Japan
• Mathilde Alexandre, ProVeg International, Germany

 

• Panel discussion – soybean outlook

What do soybean varieties need to fulfil to play a successful role in this changing environment?

• Matthias Krön, Donau Soja Organisation, Austria
• Karla Canavan, WWF USA, USA
• Anker Sørensen, KeyGene, The Netherlands
• Josef Fraundorfer, Saatbau Linz, Austria

Soy protein functionality and processing

Chair: Leonard Sagis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
The protein transition from animal-based proteins to more sustainably producible plant-based proteins is currently an important theme in the field of Food Science & Technology. Progress in this area is currently hampered by a lack of general knowledge on the link between plant-protein molecular structure and techno-functionality. Plant proteins tend to perform worse with respect to foaming, emulsifying, and gelling behavior, than the animal-based proteins they are supposed to replace, and during extraction and processing the structure of plant proteins is often significantly affected, leading to a further decrease in nutritional and functional properties. Soy protein extract is still one of the key ingredients used by the food industry for plant-based products. New plant-based products are entering the market continuously, but their development is mostly based on trial-and-error approaches, and a consistent approach to go from starting materials to products, which is robust with respect to source variations, is still missing. In this session we will focus on recent advances in establishing structure-function relations for soy and other plant-based proteins, and finding optimal processing methods to obtain soy-based products with desired functionality.

• Connecting Soybean Fractionation to novel Food Applications; Atze Jan van der Goot, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
• Effects of Molten-globule State and Renaturation Treatment on the Structure and Functional Properties of Soybean 11S Globulin; Na Zhang, Harbin University of Commerce, China 
• Traditional fermented soybean products: emphasis on processing, microbial contribution, nutritional and biological activities; Xin Jia, China Agricultural University, China 

Soy foods, soy bioactives, and improvement for human health
Chairs: Keshun Liu, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA and Istvan Rajcan, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
Soybeans and soyfoods have been known as a powerhouse of phytochemcials. Many of them have been shown to exert bioactive and therapeutic effects on human health. This session covers health benefits of soybeans and soyfoods in terms of identification of soy bioactives, improvement through food processing and/or genetic manipulation.

• Influence of Kori-tofu on Lipid and Glucose metabolism and Its Resistant Protein content; Takahiro Ishiguro Asahimatsu Foods, Japan
• Multifunctional bioactive peptides derived from soy protein hydrolysates: antioxidant activity and inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and α-amylase, Yue Xu, Harbin University of Commerce, China
• Spermidine in soybean: From genetic variation to health-promoting food products; Johann Vollmann, University Of Natural Resources And Life Sciences, Austria
• Soybean Isoflavone Molecular Breeding in China; Junming Sun, CAAS, China
• Identification and validation of candidate genes controlling tocopherol synthesize pathway in soybean; Cheolwoo Park, The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Japan

Assessing sustainability of soybean supply chains

Chairs: Thomas Nemecek, Agroscope, Life Cycle Assessment research group, Zurich, Switzerland
Werner Zollitsch, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria 

The sustainability of soybean supply chains depends on where and how soybean is grown and how it is used. We welcome contributions assessing one or several dimensions of sustainability along the supply chain including crop production, use in animal and human nutrition, and co-products applying different systems approaches. 
 

• Sustainability assessment of soybean supply chains: concepts, methods and insights; Thomas Nemecek, Agroscope, Life Cycle Assessment research group, Zurich, Switzerland; Werner Zollitsch, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria 
• Environmental impact of soybean products in the GFLI database; Mike van Paassen, Blonk Sustainability, Netherlands 
• Disclosure of certified Donau Soja/Europe Soja soybean cultivation datasets; Davide Lucherini, Blonk Sustainability, Netherlands 
• Carbon footprint of soybean crops associated with different agronomic management in the province of Tucumán (Argentina) between 2018 and 2021;  Daniela Rossana Pérez, Estación Experimental Agroindustrial "Obispo Colombres" (EEAOC), Las Talitas, Argentina 
• The role of soybean for re-designing European cropping systems; Marjana Vasiljevic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia 

Workshop:

 Soy processing technologies  

Chair: Prof. Dr-Ing. Werner Sitzmann, Research Institute of Feed Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
It is known from practice that the quality of soybeans and soybean extraction meal can vary greatly. This applies even more so to the subsequent processing steps and their effect on quality parameters. These variations in quality are a serious challenge not only for feed production and for the resulting animal feed, but also the food industry. In this workshop, representatives from the fields of product analysis, soy treatment and plant configuration will discuss the challenges and possible solutions.
 

• Soy processing technologies - How to determine the nutritional value of soybean products?; Markus Wiltafsky-Martin, Evonik Industries, Germany
•  Soybean processing - Basics and Problems from Practice; Wolf-Carsten Wohlers, Amandus Kahl, Germany
• Food Extrusion with Soya-based Materials; Natasa Taseski, Wenger Manufacturing, USA 
• Overall solution approach of soy processing for feed; Michal Kaválek, Farmet, Czeck Republic

Yield and seed composition response to environment

Chair: Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Soybean is the global cornerstone for vegetable protein and fats, supporting feed and food for a larger and more discerning population.  Consumers demand an abundant supply of consistently high-quality soybean products.  This session will focus on environmental impacts on global soybean production and composition.  

• Using on-farm research to identify highly productive regional soybean crop production systems; Mariana G. Borelli, Aacrea, Argentina 
• Potential of soybean for relay cropping systems: what we know and what we don’t?; Jay-Ram Lamichhane, INRAE, France 
• Using simple cultivar phenotyping and photothermal algorithm to explore the suitability of soybean crop in France; Philippe Debaeke, INRAE UMR AGIR, France 
• Redefining Soybean Critical Period; Anibal Cerrudo,  University of Minnesota, USA 
• Cropping System Effects on Maize and Soybean Yield and Yield Stability; Emerson Nafziger,  University of Illinois, USA 
• High temperature responses vary among soybean genotypes in open-air field conditions; Anna Locke, USDA-ARS, USA 

Using data-driven knowledge for profitable crop management

Chairs: Paul Esker, Pennsylvania State University, USA
Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota, USA
This session aims to discuss using novel experimental and data-driven approaches to identify profitable soybean systems. The session will highlight different examples currently used emphasizing collaborations with farmers. The latest methods and results from these efforts will be presented and discussed.
 

• History, impact, and future of data-driven efforts to improve soybean production and management; Dr. Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• Modeling soybean production and management through novel, data-driven approaches; Spyros Mourtzinis, AgStat, Greece
• On-Farm approaches to improving data-centric efforts to improve soybean production and management; Laila Puntel, University of Nebraska, USA; Laura Lindsey, Ohio State University, 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.

• How additional inoculation can improve N2 fixation and yield in soybean under field conditions in Denmark; Juliana Martins, Aarhus University, Denmark 
• Keeping Bradyrhizobia Inoculant high quality standards : a challenge for French farmer organizations and french research bodies, inside Europe; Xavier Pinochet, Terres Innovia, France 
• Genetic diversity and symbiotic effectiveness of indigenous root nodulating bacteria associated with soybean in Benin (West Africa); Brice Gildas Sinhouenon, UClouvain, Belgium 
• Core rhizosphere microbiota is associated with nutrient cycling in field-grown typical soybean varieties; Tianshu Wang, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China 

Seed production, vigour and technology

Chairs: Julia Buitink, INRAE and  Institute of Horticulture and Seeds, Beaucouzé, France
Michael Gohn, Euroseeds, Brussels, Belgium and Probstorfer Saatzucht, Vienna, Austria
Producing highly vigorous soybean seeds is a key lever to increase crop production efficiency. This session will address recent research and technological advances underlying the production of high quality seeds for fast and homogenous seedling establishment, both from a preharvest and post-harvest perspective. 

• Molecular understanding of seed vigour acquisition during maturation; Olivier Leprince, L’institut Agro Rennes Angers, France 
• Exploiting genetic diversity of an early maturity GWAS collection to improve seedling establishment; Julia Buitink, INRAE, France 
•  Improvement of soybean emergence by pre-treatment with biostimulants; Jean-Christophe Avice, Université de Caen Normandie, France 

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.
 

• Product profile aligned breeding in tropical soybean: a foundation for integrating quanitiable atributes into new varieties;  Godfree Chigeza, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Lusaka, Zambia 
• Seed Co's commercial soybean variety attributes, distribution and avaialbility across Africa;  Mwila Chibanda, Seedco International Limited, Zambia 
• The Pan African Trial platform a novel and new seed system approach that works; Michelle da Fonseca Santos, Soybean Innovation Lab, USA 
• Genetic Gain, Achievements and Challenges of the IITA Soybean Breeding program in Nigeria: Implications for other West African countries;  Abush Abebe, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria 
• Phylogenetic and seed composition stability analyses for cultivars in the USAID Soybean Innovation Lab Pan-African Soybean Variety Trials;  Elizabeth De Meyer, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA 
• Evaluation of soybean genotypes for response to Coniothyrium glycines, the cause of red leaf blotch;  Harun Murithi, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kenya 

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 

• David Gouache, Terres Innovia, France 
• Gemini Delle Vedove, University of Udine, Italy 
• Wolfgang Kastenhuber, Agricultural Chamber of Upper Austria, Austria 
• Vuk Djordjevic, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad, Serbia 
• Iryna Brovko, Institute of Agrobiology, Ukraine 

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

Chair: Rachel Vann, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
The Science for Success project has evolved into a high functioning engine delivering data-driven best management practices (BMP’s) to U.S. soybean farmers. The Science for Success team is composed of soybean Extension personnel from across the U.S. who serve more than 90% of U.S. soybean acres that collaboratively investigate BMP’s and subsequently disseminate gleaned information using diverse outreach strategies including partners such as SRIN, CPN, and the U.S. Soybean Research Collaborative (USSRC). This team leverages QSSB funding and other funding sources (ie USDA-NIFA) to support common-theme localized research efforts needed to generate data-derived BMP’s. We seek USB funding through the proposed project to support subsequent collaborative Extension efforts. This project then generates Extension publications, social media campaigns, videos, and webinars that will deliver BMP’s to U.S. soybean farmers.  In this workshop, we will discuss the key components that have made Science for Success effective and dive into lessons learned. Core topics of focus will include conducting effective collaborative research, delivering recommendations using diverse outreach strategies, and the mentorship value of this initiative for junior faculty and graduate students. 

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.

• Taproot decline of soybean, caused by Xylaria necrophora, an emerging threat to profitable soybean production in the southern United States; Tom Allen, Mississippi State University, USA
• GWAS and RNA-seq analyses to identify SNPs and candidate genes for target spot (Corynespora cassicola) resistance in soybean (Glycine Max); Jenny Koebernick, Auburn University, USA
• Integrating Transgenics and Native Resistance for Nematode Management; Michael Mccarville, BASF, USA
• Utility and effectiveness of an Integrated Seed Destruction System for Palmer amaranth escapes in soybean;  Tom Barber, University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture, USA
•  A Method to Obtaining Novel Sources of Resistance in Soybean Against SCN;  Bahram Samanfar, Agriculture And Agri-food Canada, Canada 

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.

 

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. 

• Cyber-Agricultural Systems for Crop Production; Dr. Asheesh K. Singh, Iowa State University, USA
• Citizen science: Shaping the future of AI applications in agriculture; Arti Singh, Iowa State University, USA
• UAS Longitudinal Phenotypes to Measure and Select Soybean Stress Resilience; Katy Rainey, Purdue University, USA
• Ground versus Aerial Herbicide Applications: Spray Drift, Soybean Impacts, and Regulatory Implications; Thomas Butts, University of Arkansas, USA
• Method for detecting datura in high-resolution UAV images of soybean fields; Dr. Peter Riegler-Nurscher, Josephinum Research, Austria
• Listening to insects: using microphones and deep learning algorithms to monitor soybean pests; Dr. Emily Bick, University of Wisconsin, USA

Managing disease, pest and weed resistance

Chair: Daniel Ploper, Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres, Tucumán, Argentina
Application of pesticides is a common strategy used to effectively reduce biotic stresses in soybean crops.  However, multiple factors contributed to the appearance of biotypes of weeds, insects, and pathogens which have evolved resistance to these chemicals.  In this session we will focus on the impact of these resistant biotypes and on the main management strategies recommended to reduce their impact on soybean yields.

• Documenting fungicide resistance in the southern United States: A continuing series of surveys from Mississippi;  Tom Allen, Mississippi State University, USA
• Herbicide resistant weeds in South America;  Fernando Storniolo Adegas, FAPED/Embrapa Soybean, Brazil
• Fungicide resistance in Cercospora sojina, causal agent of frogeye leaf spot: Detection and management in the U.S.A.;  Carl Bradley, University Of Kentucky, USA 
• In vitro sensitivity of Corynespora cassiicola isolated from soybean to different chemical fungicides in northwestern Argentina;  Sebastian Reznikov, Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (eeaoc) E Itanoa, Argentina

 

Policy, and corporate social responsibility (CSR)  

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. 

• The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation and soya; Lieven Callewaert, Chair of the Collaborative Soy Initiative (CSI), Belgium
• How to stop deforestation properly; Ursula Bittner, Economics expert, Greenpeace in central and eastern Europe, Austria
• Deforestation and conversion-free soy supply chains; Guillaume Tessier, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Global Soy Lead, Brazil
• From shelf to field: why retailers are critical partners in the delivery of deforestation free soy; Will Schreiber, 3Keel Group Ltd., United Kingdom

 

Soybean market developments

Chair: Daniele Marcomin, Agriholism, Italy

Market experts will analyse in this session the current and long-term trends in soybean supply and demand in global markets. A special emphasis is given to European markets. 

• Current situation and prospects of global supply and demand of soybeans; Thomas Mielke, CEO of ISTA Mielke – Oil World, Germany
• European soybean market, with special focus on non-GM soya sector; Daniele Marcomin, Agriholism, Italy and Bertalan Kruppa, Donau Soja, Hungary
• Oilseed and vegetable oils markets of Ukraine and the Black Sea region. Trade flows shifts. 2022-2024; Sergey Feofilov, UkrAgroConsult, Ukraine 

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. 

State of the art machinery will also be presented at the industry exhibition.

The Night of European Soy will take place on Monday 19 June in the Weltmuseum, home to the oldest soybeans of Europe, located in the Imperial Palace in the center of Vienna. 

This afternoon and evening event is dedicated to the growing market and diversity of soy-based food that are produced in Europe. Around 30 European producers will present their “soy-licious” specialities for the enjoyment of the around 300 expected participants. On top of that, a special soy-based buffet will be offered. 
The attendance is included in the registration fee, however, registration is necessary as places are limited on a first come first serve basis. 

We are pleased to announce that the gala evening will be held on June 22 in the Vienna City Hall.

In addition to the scientific program, the WSRC11 aims to build a platform for broadening your social networks and friendships. Therefore, we invite you to register for the gala evening in one of the most unique and historically important buildings in Vienna – the City Hall. There, traditional Austrian cuisine will await our guests, accompanied by a glass of wine and coffee or tea, giving the participants time to connect and mingle. The event will take place in the prestigious festive hall, which was the biggest hall in the whole country in the late 19th century.

Our gala evening will take place from 18:30-22:00.

Excursions will take place on Friday, 23 June and will be to:

• Joint FAO/IAEA Division, Seibersdorf Laboratories, Plant Breeding Unit 

• Organic soybean production (Esterhazy estate) 

• Tours of the Vienna area 

You can find more info on the excursions - click here for information on technical excursions and click here for information on tours in Vienna.