We regret to inform you that the APSA’s R&D Advisory Group has made the decision to postpone the 2024 Asian Solanaceous and Cucurbits Round Table (ASCRT 2024), which had initially been scheduled to be held 4 – 5 June 2024 in Los Banos, Philippines. We anticipate the rescheduled event to be held in Quarter 3 or 4 in Thailand and will inform you as soon as details are confirmed. So, please stay tuned for more details. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your kind understanding.
Welcome to the 2024 Asian Solanaceous & Cucurbits Round Table (ASCRT) – a groundbreaking symposium focused on "Harnessing New Breeding Technologies for climate change-resilient vegetables." Co-hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), and the Philippine Seed Industry Association (PSIA), this 3-day event will unfold from June 4 to 6, 2024, at SEARCA, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus.
Join us for insightful discussions on crucial topics, including Modern Breeding Techniques, Germplasm Diversity, Genomics & Genome Editing, AI and Digital Technology for High Throughput Phenotyping, and more. Engage in technology platform demonstrations, explore training needs, and discover the potential of public-private partnerships.
Register now to secure your spot and explore the sponsorship opportunities available to ensure your organization plays a key role in this transformative experience. Take advantage of the registration discounts, ensuring that you and your team can be part of this dynamic event.
For Non-APSA Member registration, please contact APSA Membership Coordination Manager, Mr. Komsak Kamjing (Bobbie) at komsak@apsaseed.org
Day 1: Tuesday, 4 June 2024
| TIME | AGENDA | SPEAKERS |
| Inaugural Session | ||
| 08.00 - 09.00 | Registration | APSA and SEARCA teams |
| 09.00 – 09.10 | Welcome remarks | Ms. Francine Sayoc, APSA Executive Director |
| 09.10 – 09.20 | Welcome address by SEARCA | Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Director of SEARCA |
| 09.20 – 09.35 | Welcome remarks from UPLB | [TBC] Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr., Chancellor, University of the Philippines Los Baños |
| 09.35 – 09.40 | ASRT and ACRT objectives | Dr. Seetharam Annadana, Chair, APSA R&D Advisory Committee |
| 09.40 – 09.45 | ASCRT 2024 agenda and outcome | Dr. Conrado Balatero, Chair, ASCRT Organizing Committee and Member of R&D AG, APSA/Group Head - Breeding, East-West Seed |
| 09.45 – 10.15 | Keynote address on solanaceous crops | TBC |
| 10.15 – 10.45 | Keynote address on cucurbit crops | [TBC] Dr. Jesús Abad Martin, Global Head of Germplasm Development Cucurbits, Syngenta (online) |
| 10.45 – 11.00 | Group photo session and Refreshment break | |
| Session 1: Modern Breeding Techniques & Resistance to Diseases and Pests in Solanaceous and Cucurbitaceae crops | Chair: Co-Chair: |
|
| 11.00 – 11.30 | [Topic TBC] Identification of Resistance to Geminivirus and Whitefly in Pepper | Dr Awang Maharijaya, Bogor Agricultural University |
| 11.30 – 12.00 | [Topic TBC] | TBC |
| 12.00 – 13.00 | Lunch | |
| 13.00 – 13.30 | High-gaba tomato breeding | Sanatech scientist |
| 13.30 – 14.00 | Conventional breeding for anthracnose and begomovirus disease resistance in chili peppers | Dr. Patcharaporn Suwor, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) |
| 14.00 – 14.30 | Advances and challenges of watermelon breeding in Asia | Prof. Xingping Zhang, Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences (IAAS), Peking University (PKU), China |
| 14.30 – 15.00 | [Topic TBC] Major pathogens infecting cucurbit crops in East Asia | Dr. Hao-wen Cheng, Assistant Specialist-Virologist, World Vegetable Center |
| 15.00 – 15.20 | Refreshment break | |
| 15.20 – 15.50 | Powdery mildew in Southeast Asia: host range, impact, and sources of resistance | Mark Angelo Balendres, Professor, Department of Biology, De La Salle University, Manila |
| 15.50 – 16.20 | Breeding Bottle Gourds for yield and disease resistance | Dr Dhananjaya M.V, Principal Scientist, CEO, BESST-HORT and Officer In charge (Seeds), ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru |
| 16.20 – 16.50 | Cucurbit crops improvement: cucurbit projects of the World Vegetable Center | Dr. Anthimos Kampouridis, Scientist – Cucurbit Breeding, World Vegetable Center |
| 16.50 – 17.00 | ASCRT 2024 - Day 1 Wrap-Up | |
| 18.00 – 20.00 | Welcome Dinner | |
Day 2: Wednesday, 5 June 2024
| TIME | AGENDA | SPEAKER |
| Session 2: Germplasm Diversity and plant variety protection | Chair: Co-Chair: |
|
| 09.00 – 09.30 | Maximizing Genetic Diversity Germplasm Repositories and Climate - Adaptive Crop Protection for Future Food Security | Dr. Chutchamas Kanchana-Udomkan, Director of Tropical Vegetable Research Center, Kasetsart University, Thailand |
| 09.30 – 10.00 | Topic TBC | Lavernee Gueco, Head of the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory, IPB-UPLB |
| 10.00 – 10.30 | PVP Topic TBC | Speaker TBC |
| 10.30 – 10.50 | Refreshment break | |
| Session 3: Plant Breeding Innovation: Genomics & Genome Editing | Chair: Co-Chair |
|
| 10.50 – 11.20 | Genomic selection and gene editing in hot pepper | Dr. B.C. Kang, Professor, Seoul National University, South Korea |
| 11.20 – 11.50 | Revolutionizing varietal development in tomato: from genetic markers to TILLING and innovative OMICs-breeding approaches | Dr. Hayde Galvez, Assistant Professor, University of the Philippines Los Baños |
| 11.50 – 13.00 | Lunch | |
| 13.00 – 13.30 | Biotechnology tools to support molecular breeding in cucurbits (MAS, MABC, GBS, WGS, etc) | Dr. Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang, Director of National Omics Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) |
| 13.30 – 14.00 | Genomics and genome editing for solanaceous or cucurbit crops | Dr. Supachai Vuttipongchaikij, Associate Professor, Kasetsert University, Thailand |
| 14.00 – 14.15 | Policies and global regulatory scenario on gene editing | Dr. Shivendra Bajaj, APSA Technical Director |
| 14.15 – 14.30 | Gene editing policy in the Philippines | Ms. Geronima Eusebio, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI Philippines) |
| 14.30 – 14.50 | Refreshment break | |
| Session 4: Application of AI and Digital Technology for High Throughput Phenotyping | Chair: Co-Chair: |
|
| 14.50 – 15.20 | High-throughput phenotyping of eggplant resistance to leafhopper using automated video tracking | Dr. Lourdes Taylo, University Researcher, Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Baños |
| 15.20 – 15.50 | [Topic TBC] Speed breeding technique | Dr. Gururaj Kulkarni, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) - Bio Innovation Center |
| Session 5: Poster presentation | Chair: Co-Chair |
|
| 15.50 – 16.20 | Poster Presentation 1 | TBC |
| 16.20 – 16.50 | Poster Presentation 2 | TBC |
| 16.50 – 17.00 | ASCRT 2024 - Day 2 Wrap-Up | |
Day 3: Thursday, 6 June 2024
| TIME | AGENDA | SPEAKER |
| Session 6: Insect resistance in Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae crops | Chair: Co-Chair |
|
| 09.00 – 09.30 | Pepper or eggplant | Speaker TBC |
| 09.30 – 10.00 | The road to commercialization of UPLB Bt eggplant with event EE-1 | Dr. Lourdes Taylo, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines and DM Hautea |
| 10.00 – 10.30 | Pepper or eggplant | Speaker TBC |
| 10.30 – 10.50 | Refreshment break | |
| Session 7: Technology platform demonstration, training needs and PPP | Chair: Co-Chair |
|
| 10.50 – 11.20 | Topic TBC | Amphasys [TBC] |
| 11.20 – 11.50 | Collaborative research topic from IPB | IPB speaker TBC |
| 11.50 – 12.00 | ASCRT 2024 - Day 3 Wrap-Up | |
| 12.00 – 13.00 | Lunch | |
| Field Visits | ||
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Bio Innovation Center, IRRI | |
| 14.00 – 15.00 | Germplasm collection center | |
| 15.00 – 16.00 | Visiting High-throughput phenotyping & BT eggplant organization at the Institute of Plant Breeding | |
| 16.00 | Meeting adjorn | |