Asian Cucurbits Round Table 2023 POSTPONED To 2024 / Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Asian Cucurbits Round Table 2023
Challenges and Future Trends in R&D for Cucurbit Crops

Vajiranusorn Building, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

EVENT POSTPONED TO 2024

APSA is happy to announce that the Asian Cucurbits Round Table is back!!!

This year's ACRT 2023 will focus on "The Challenges and Future Trends in R&D for Cucurbit Crops" and will be held from the 7th to the 9th of August 2023 at the Vajiranusorn Building, Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.

This year, we will touch on various topics, such as:

  • Regional disease trends in cucurbits
  • Molecular tools for cultivar improvement
  • Cucurbit crop improvement
  • Public - Private Partnership
  • Technology demonstrations
  • Student poster presentation
Registration Details:
  • Participants must be from active APSA member companies
  • Reguistration Fee of 200 USD per person
  • 10% discount when registering more than 5 people
  • 10% discount for 2022 APSA Cucurbinars TGIF participants from APSA member companies
  • * Companies can choose only one discount scheme. 

ACRT 2023 Sponsorship

  • This year APSA is offering a very attractive ACRT 2023 Sponsorship Package.
  • To view and download ACRT 2023 Sponorship Package, please CLICK HERE

Day 1: Monday, 7 August 2023

TIME (GMT+7) AGENDA SPEAKER
Inaugural Ceremony Emcee: Ms. Kunaporn Phuntunil, APSA Technical Coordination Manager
08.00 - 09.30 Registration  
09.30 – 09.44 Welcome remarks from Kasetsart University Assoc. Prof. Dr Kampanat Pensupar, Vice President for International Affairs, Kasetsart University
09.45 – 10.05 Opening remarks by Chair of ACRT 2023 Steering Committee Mr Marcel Sturre, Chair, ACRT 2023 Steering Committee
10.05 – 10.45 Keynote Address on Cucurbits crops (online)  Dr. Jesus Abad, Global Head of Germplasm Development Cucurbits
10.45 – 11.05 Group Photo Session and coffee break  
Session 1: Regional disease trends in cucurbits Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
11.05 – 11.35 PLENARY PRESENTATION: Cucurbit virus epidemiology, disease resistance breeding, marker development in major cucurbit crops in South Asia Dr M Krishna Reddy, Division of Plant Pathology, ICARIndian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR)
11.35 – 12.00 Major pathogens infecting cucurbit crops and cucurbit disease management in Thailand Dr Petcharat Thummabenjapone, Associate Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University
12.00 – 12.25 Occurrence and distribution of major pathogens infecting cucurbits in Indonesia/SE Asia Dr Sri Hendrastuti Hidayat, Professor of Phytopathology, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
12.25 – 12.40 Q&A Discussion  
12.40 – 13.40 Lunch  
13.40 – 14.05 [Topic TBC] Cucurbits Market Trends in APAC [Speaker TBC] Dr Nomman Ahmed, Executive Director, Global Practice Advanced Analytics & sigma, Kynetec
14.05 – 14.30 [Topic TBC] Major pathogens infecting cucurbit crops in East Asia Dr. Hao-wen Cheng, Assistant Specialist-Virologist, World Vegetable Center
14.30 – 14.50 Q&A Discussion  
Session 2: Molecular tools for cultivar improvement Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
14.50 – 15.20 PLEANERY PRESENTATION: Utilising S-genes (e.g. Mlo, AAP, Pelota) for resistance breeding in cucurbits (online presentation) Dr Yuling Bai, Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands
15.20 – 15.45 DNA Primase for resistance to geminiviruses Dr Henk Schouten, Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands
15.45 – 16.10 Biotechnology tools to support molecular breeding in cucurbits (MAS, MABC, GBS, WGS, etc) Dr Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang, Director of National Omics Center, NSTDA, Phatum Thani, Thailand
16.10 – 16.30 Q&A Discussion  
16.30 – 16.45 Afternoon Coffee Break  
16.45 – 17.10 Recent development of C. hystrix Introgression Lines in Cucumber Dr. Paradee Thammapichai, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University 
17.10 – 17.35 Evaluation of cucumber UBL5 promoter as a tool for transgene expression and genome editing in plants Assist. Prof. Dr. Anongpat Suttangkakul, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University
17.35 – 18.00 Q&A  
18.00 – 19.00 Travel to Asawin hotel  
Dinner Emcee: Ms. Kunaporn Phuntunil, APSA Technical Coordination Manager
19.00 – 20.00 Networking Dinner at Asawin Hotel Delegates, APSA, KU
20.00 – 20.30 Shuttle Bus Pick-Up Service from KU to Hotel (Rama Gardens Hotel)  

Day 2: Tuesday, 8 August 2023

TIME (GMT+7) AGENDA SPEAKER
Session 2: Molecular tools for cultivar improvement Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
09.00 - 09.25 Dual transcriptomics for identification of biotic stress resistance genes in cucurbit crops  Dr Raghavendra Gunnaiah, Assistant Professor, University of Horticultural sciences, 
Bagalkot, India
09.25 - 09.50 QTL mapping for downy mildew resistance in cucumber (online presentation)  Dr Yiqun Weng, Research Geneticist, USDA-ARS, Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Horticulture Department, University of Wisconsin, USA  
09.50 - 10.05 Q&A Discussion  
Session 3: Cucurbit crop improvement Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
10.05 – 10.30 PLEANERY PRESENTATION: Advances and challenges of watermelon breeding in Asia Prof Xingping Zhang, Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences (IAAS), Peking University (PKU), China
10.30 – 11.00 Genetic diversity and population structure of Luffa spp. germplasm and the development of ridge gourd for tolerance to ToLCNDV Asst. Prof. Dr. Paweena Chuenwarin, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Thailand
11.00 – 11.15 Morning Coffee Break  
11.15 – 11.40 Genetic analysis and QTL mapping of yield and fruit traits in bitter gourd (online presentation) Dr. P. Gangadhara Rao, Assistant Professor, Department of Vegetable Science College of Horticulture Venkataramannagudem
11.40 – 12.00 Q&A Discussion  
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch  
13.00 – 13.25 Key discoveries in bitter gourd breeding at the World Vegetable Center Dr Narinder Dhillon, Principal Plant Breeder – Cucurbits, 
World Vegetable Center
13.25 – 13.50 Breeding for climate resilient parthenocarpic cucumber Dr Tusar K Behera, Director, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, India
13.50 – 14.15 Development of a MAGIC population of melon: from DH parental lines to evaluation criteria (online presentation) Dr Pau Bretó, Abiopep S.L. Murcia Science Park. 30100 Murcia, Spain
14.15 – 14.40 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
14.40 – 15.00 Q&A Discussion  
15.00 - 15.15 Afternoon Coffee Break  
Session 4: Public - Private Partnership Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
15.15 - 15.40 Future cucurbit projects of the World Vegetable Center Dr Narinder Dhillon, Principal Plant Breeder – Cucurbits, World Vegetable Center
15.40 - 16.05 Germplasm collection expeditions for cucurbits (sources of abiotic and biotic stress resistance) (online presentation) Dr Maarten van Zonneveld, Genebank Manager, World Vegetable Center
16.05 - 16.30 Training needs – ATPBR (online presentation) Dr. Sharan Angadi, Director, ATPBR
16.30 - 16.45  Q&A Discussion  
Session 5: Student poster presentation Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
16.45 – 17.10 Best student poster presentation    
17.10 – 17.30 Best poster presentation awards  

Day 3: Wednesday, 9 August 2023

TIME (GMT+7) AGENDA SPEAKER
Session 6: Technology demonstrations Chair: TBC
Co-Chair: TBC
09.00 - 09.25 Seed processing and operations technology and machinery Mr Paul Koomen, Sales Account Manager, Seed Processing Holland 
09.25 - 09.50 Seed technology on dry chain and seed industrial analytics for cucurbit crops Mr Johan Van Asbrouck, Executive President, Rhino Research
09.50 - 10.15 Topic TBC [TBC] 
10.15 – 10.30 Q&A Discussion  
10.30 – 10.45 Morning Coffee Break  
10.45 – 11.10 Seed Health testing kits  Dr. Channarong Seepiban (Researcher, BIOTEC, Thailand)
11.10 – 11.35 MAS breeding and Sequencing  [TBC] Eurofins 
11.35 – 12.00 Breeding database management– predictive breeding (Online presentation) Mr. Amnon Grossberger, Senior Account Manager, Phenome Networks Ltd.   
12.00 – 12.25 Topic TBC [TBC] Amphasys AG
12.25 – 12.45 Q&A Discussion  
12.45 – 13.00 Wrap Up and Closing Remarks  
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch