ISHPB2025
The 2025 International Symposium of Horticultural Plant Biology—“Frontiers in Horticultural Plant Biology” will be held 21–25 October 2025 at Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, with an industry visit in Zigui County, Yichang City. Now in its sixth edition and hosted by HZAU with support from its key laboratories and partners, the symposium provides a focused forum to exchange breakthroughs and accelerate collaboration across the global horticulture community.
Centered on the core themes of Reproduction and Development and Metabolism and Quality, the meeting will spotlight advances that connect fundamental cell and developmental biology with applied outcomes in fruit and vegetable quality, resilience, and breeding.
Horticultural crops are central to nutrition, rural livelihoods, and sustainable ecosystems, yet they have historically lagged behind model plants in research attention. By convening leading scholars and emerging researchers from world-class institutions, this year’s program aims to close that gap—probing frontier questions, sharing enabling technologies, and catalyzing cross-disciplinary partnerships. Participants can expect high-level keynotes, in-depth sessions, and field-facing engagement during the Zigui industry tour, all designed to translate discovery into impact for the horticultural sector.
- Reproduction and Development
- Metabolism and Quality
Organizer
- Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
Co-organizers
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University
- Editorial Office of Horticulture Advances
- Wuhan (China–Pakistan) Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Horticultural Crop Germplasm Innovation & Utilization
Host Organizer
Symposium Leadership
- Chair: Deng Xiuxin
- Committee Chair: Xu Qiang
Symposium Secretariat
- Shoaib Munir
- Zheng Huan
| Serial Number | Name of Invited Expert | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-01 | Charles Melnyk | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences | Sweden |
| O-02 | Daniel Van Damme | Ghent University | Belgium |
| O-03 | Facundo Romani | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom |
| O-04 | Guillaume Chomicki | Durham University | United Kingdom |
| O-05 | Guozheng Qin | China Agricultural University | China |
| O-06 | Hilary Rogers | Cardiff University | United Kingdom |
| O-07 | Jian Lü | Syngenta Beijing Innovation Center | China |
| O-08 | Jim Rowe | The University of Sheffield | United Kingdom |
| O-09 | Jingbo Zhang | China Agricultural University | China |
| O-10 | Kexuan Tang | Yazhou Bay National Laboratory | China |
| O-11 | Li Wang | Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen (CAAS) | China |
| O-12 | Michitaka Notaguchi | Kyoto University | Japan |
| O-13 | Moritz Nowack | Ghent University | Belgium |
| O-14 | Peter Etchells | Durham University | United Kingdom |
| O-15 | Qiaohong Duan | Shandong Agricultural University | China |
| O-16 | Shuang Wu | Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University | China |
| O-17 | Timothy Kelliher | North Carolina State University | United States |
| O-18 | Zhe Yong Xue | China National Rice Research Institute | China |
| Date | Day | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2025 | Tuesday | Registration | All day |
| October 22–23, 2025 | Wednesday–Thursday | Academic Sessions | All day |
| October 24, 2025 | Friday | Industry Tour | Morning • Optional/Voluntary |
| October 25, 2025 | Saturday |
Industry Tour (morning) Departure from Yichang City (afternoon) |
Morning
• Optional/Voluntary Afternoon |
Venues
- Academic Sessions: Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Industry Tour: Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| Presentations Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue: Conference Hall 228, North Building, CHFS | ||
| October 22nd, 2025 | ||
| Opening Session (Host: Fei Zhang) – 08:30 – 09:00 | ||
| 08:35 – 08:40 | Introduction of the Guests | |
| 08:40 – 08:50 | Opening Remarks | |
| 08:50 – 09:00 | Group Photo of All Participants | |
| Session 1: Grafting (Host: Zongcheng Lin) | ||
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Charles Melnyk (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden) | Towards a molecular understanding of plant grafting |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | Michitaka Notaguchi (Kyoto University, Japan) | Grafting drives active mode of cells |
| Coffee Break (10:00 – 10:30) | ||
| Session 2: Reproduction and Development (Host: Lijun Chai) | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Qiaohong Duan (Shandong Agricultural University, China) | Function of FERONIA receptor kinase-regulated reactive oxygen species in maintaining species integrity in Brassicaceae |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Peter Etchells (Durham University, UK) | Identification of cambium stem cell factors and their positioning mechanism |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Pengwei Wang (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) | ER–PM contact sites contribute to cytoskeleton organization and cell polarity |
| Lunch Break (12:00 – 14:30) | ||
| Session 3: Domestication and Environmental Adaptation (Host: Chunlong Li) | ||
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Guillaume Chomicki (Durham University, UK) | Integrating genomics, systematics and archaeology to unveil the origin and domestication of the watermelon |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Jingbo Zhang (China Agricultural University, China) | The roles of vacuolar anion channels in facilitating environmental stress resilience and nutrient use in crop plants |
| Coffee Break (15:30 – 15:50) | ||
| Session 4: Student Presentations (Host: Munenori Kitagawa) | ||
| 15:50 – 16:05 | Lizhi Song (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) | Seven types of active transposons drive somatic mutation of sweet orange |
| 16:05 – 16:20 | Yawen Huo (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) | Ubiquitination-mediated mitochondrial protein degradation ensures seedling emergence by regulating ER–mitochondrial interaction and mitophagy |
| 16:20 – 16:35 | Shariq Mahmood Alam (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) | Molecular elucidation for higher malate accumulation mediated by CsALMT9-like in Citrus cv. ‘Haruka’ |
| 16:35 – 16:50 | Yiming Lu (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) | Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) facilitates QTL identification of fruit traits |
| October 23rd, 2025 | ||
| Session 5: Cell Biology and Development (Host: Pengwei Wang) | ||
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Daniël Van Damme (Ghent University, Belgium) | Clathrin-coated vesicles are targeted for selective autophagy during osmotic stress |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | Facundo Romani (University of Cambridge, UK) | Regulation of oil body cells in liverworts: insights into the evolution of secretory structures in early land plants |
| Coffee Break (10:00 – 10:30) | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Moritz Nowack (Ghent University, Belgium) | Cell death – The final frontier in plant development |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Shuang Wu (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China) | More than hairs: engineering trichomes for crop improvement |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Jim Rowe (University of Sheffield, UK) | Understanding leaf humidity and ABA responses at the cellular level |
| Lunch Break (12:00 – 14:30) | ||
| Session 6: Biotechnology (Host: Fan Zhang) | ||
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Timothy Kelliher (North Carolina State University, USA) | CRISPR-enabled breeding technologies to maximize crop potential |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Hilary Rogers (Cardiff University, UK) | Omic and epigenetic changes in plant organ senescence post-harvest |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Jian Lv (Syngenta Beijing Innovation Center, China) | Progress and prospect of double haploid technology in crops |
| Coffee Break (16:00 – 16:20) | ||
| Session 7: Plant Metabolism (Host: Chunli Chen) | ||
| 16:20 – 16:50 | Kexuan Tang (Yazhouwan National Laboratory, China) | Synthetic biotechnology breeding of medicinal plant |
| 16:50 – 17:20 | Li Wang (Agricultural Genomics Institute, CAAS, China) | Biosynthetic pathways of bioactive compounds and evolutionary history of Apiaceous medicinal plants |
| 17:20 – 17:50 | Zheyong Xue (China National Rice Research Institute, China) | Dissection of metabolic pathway and biosynthesis of polyphyllins |
| Closing Remarks | ||
1. Registration Fee (RMB)
| Type of Participant | Symposium Registration Fee (RMB) | Industry Visit (optional) (RMB) |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty Representatives | 1,200 | 1,000 |
| Students | 600 |
- The above fees cover registration, symposium materials, and meals.
- A separate fee of 1,000 RMB per participant applies for the optional visit to Yichang. This fee can be paid on the first day of the symposium.
- Please make the payment before registration. The registration fee is non-refundable but can be transferred to another participant.
- If there are any issues, please contact Zheng Huan (yuanlinkeyan@mail.hzau.edu.cn, 027-87282008) in a timely manner.
2. Payment Methods
The symposium uses an online registration system. The fee can be paid directly to the Huazhong Agricultural University bank account using the methods below. After completing payment, please register and upload the payment voucher and participant information (name, organization) to the symposium portal for verification and invoicing. For payments covering multiple participants, include each person’s details.
(1) Bank Transfer
For Local Transfer
| 账户名称 | 华中农业大学 |
| 账号 | 554757528331 |
| 开户行 | 中国银行武汉华农支行 |
| 同城结算行号 | 846006 |
| 联行行号 | 104521004785 |
For International Transfer
| Beneficiary | Huazhong Agricultural University |
| Account No. | 567757544200 |
| Bank | Bank of China Hubei Branch |
| Address | Bank of China Hubei Branch, Donghu Subbranch 430079 |
| SWIFT Code | BKCHCNBJ600 |
Please include a memo: “Name + Institution + ISHPB2025”.
(2) QR Code Payment
Scan the QR code with Alipay to make the payment and include a memo: “Name + Institution + ISHPB2025”.
3. Conference Fee Invoice
The conference fee invoice will be an electronic regular invoice. If you need an invoice, please fill in the “Participant Information” during registration and provide the invoicing details (company name + tax number). The invoice will be sent to the participant’s email within 15 days after the event concludes.
Accommodation Options (Reference Prices)
1) International Academic Exchange Center of Huazhong Agricultural University
Address: No. 66 Nanhu Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei Province (inside Huazhong Agricultural University)
Reservation Phone: 027-87280141, 027-87280142, 027-87286005 (Building No. 3)
| Room Type | Rate (RMB/day) | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Room | 350 | Breakfast included |
| Triple Room | 420 | Breakfast included |
| Single Room | 280 | Breakfast included |
| Room Type | Rate (RMB/day) | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Room | 268 | Breakfast included |
| Economy Room | 200 | No breakfast |
2) Intercity Hotel (Wuhan Nanhu Huazhong Agricultural University Branch)
Address: No. 81 Nanhu Avenue, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, Hubei Province
Contact: 18186189082 (Manager Zhou), 027-88000188
| Room Type | Rate (RMB/day) | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Room | 350-400 | Breakfast included |
| Single Room | 350-400 | Breakfast included |
Transportation Route Guide
From Wuhan Tianhe International Airport → HZAU
- Walk to Tianhe Airport Subway Station and board Line 2 (towards Fozuling). Ride 27 stops (~1h24m).
- Exit at Optics Valley Square (Exit C); walk ~450 m (5 min) to Minzu Dadao GuangGu Guangchang bus stop.
- Board Bus 590 (towards YeZhiHu XinLu BaoLi XinYu GongJiaoChang Zhan) for 9 stops (~25 min).
- Alight at Nanhu Dadao LanhuaYu An, then walk inside campus to the hotel.
From Wuhan Railway Station → HZAU
- Walk to Wuhan Railway Station Subway and board Line 4 (towards Bailin). Ride 7 stops (~16 min).
- Transfer to Line 8 at Yuejiazhi (towards Military Athletes Village). Ride 9 stops (~24 min).
- Exit at Wenzhi Street (Exit B); walk to YeZhiHu XiLu NanHu Dadao bus stop.
- Board Bus 590 (towards Minzu Dadao GuangGu GuangChang) and alight at Nanhu Dadao LanhuaYu An. Walk into campus to the hotel.
