Conference Program
View conference program outline
Field Crops
Sustainable Field Crops
This theme invites symposia that will cover all aspects of tropical and sub-tropical field crop improvement with a focus on productivity, sustainability and product quality for target markets and consumers This may include topics such as:
- Development and delivery of advanced germplasm and crop adaptation studies including advances in crop physiology and modelling; and genotype to phenotype modelling
- Crops and climate adaptation
- Pest and disease management
- Crop agronomy, crop nutrition, soil health, weed management
- New technologies such as gene editing and information technologies and
- Decision making tools on crop production Sustainable intensification of agriculture – including pathways to achieve food/nutrition security and reduced poverty
- Farming systems research, sustainable development goals, research for development, and supply chain and market access issues.
- Quantifying impacts and adaptation to climate variability and change; input and energy use and life cycle analyses.
Horticulture
Horticulture Innovation
This theme invites a series of symposia on initiatives and new technologies to deliver improved market acceptability and productivity for tropical and sub-tropical horticultural crops. This may include:
- Breeding programs that advance commercial varieties
- Delivery of new genetic solutions
- Climate adaptation
- Disease management
- Advances in mechanisation and management systems.
Livestock
Animals and environment
This theme is inclusive of all tropical and sub-tropical animal science, and its interaction with the environment and production systems, including teaching, consultancy and community-based service programs. Symposia which address specific research of one to a multitude of industries, including the meat and livestock, poultry, pork and sheep, would be applicable. Symposia are invited on topics including:
- Advances in animal science promoting better animal health and welfare, efficient nutrition, genetic improvement, consumer satisfaction, and socially responsible production systems. Suggested topics may include:
- Pest and disease control through improved detection, monitoring and vaccine technologies
- Animal welfare and ethics including pain mitigation and animal husbandry practices
- Objective measurements of stress
- Genotype by environmental interactions
- Advances in genetics, breeding and reproduction
- Innovations on rumen efficiency, rumen microbiome, and maternal nutrition
- Feedlot nutrition
- Advances in pasture management
- Management innovations for sound animal productivity.
Nutrition and Food
From breeding to bread and butter
This theme focuses on the whole food value-chain – from breeding through to our daily bread and butter. This theme encourages symposia that showcase the complete value chain, from breeding, production, processing to final food quality across a range of food types relevant to the tropics and sub-tropics. This can be from local (domestics systems) to global food production. Symposia topics may focus on:
- Specific aspects of how plant or animal breeders develop crops or animals respectively, for both production gain but maintaining final quality targets
- Supplementation and bio-fortification of crops
- Nutrition and health
- Food safety
- Molecular basis for food quality, food processing and preservation
- Breeding
- Reducing wastage.
AgFutures
A showcase of innovation and investment in Queensland agriculture
The AgFutures theme, hosted by the Queensland Government, focuses on showcasing agri-technology and investment in in Queensland. Queensland producers have a worldwide reputation for producing high quality, clean and green produce in harsh environments in tropical and sub-tropical climates and the AgFutures theme showcases the state’s latest technology and innovations in digital and data platforms, robotics, satellites and biotechnologies. Theme topics include industry-wide investment required for innovations, emerging trends, business opportunities and capital models from farm gate to agribusiness, agri-tech, processing and research. This theme is recommended for representatives from the agriculture and food sectors, including producers, researchers, policy makers, and agribusiness.