BSPP2021 – Our Plants, Our Future (OPOF) – Joint conference from BSPP and the EFPP

Edgbaston Conference Centre, University of Birmingham, UK.

This major joint meeting, postponed from last year, will address scientific, practical and policy aspects of plant health. Inspired by the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), the meeting is aimed at a wide audience, from plant scientists to plant health practitioners. This will be a fantastic opportunity at a premier conference centre to meet and mingle with colleagues from across Europe.

Programme: first announcement

This meeting is being held jointly by the British Society for Plant Pathologists and the European Foundation of Plant Pathologists. We are still finalising further sessions of offered papers on a diverse range of plant health-related topics.

Welcome and Introductory talk:  Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will give the opening talk on ‘Plants and Net Zero’.

Monday, 6 December

Session 1: EMERGING CHALLENGES – Nicola Spence (DEFRA), Sarah Gurr (Exeter), Saskia Hogenhout (JIC), Chris Gilligan (Cambridge).

Session 2: PEST RISKS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS – Nick Talbot (The Sainsbury Laboratory), Neil Boonham (Newcastle), Pippa Greenwood (HTA).

Session 3: COMBATTING PLANT HEALTH PROBLEMS – Richard Buggs (Queen Mary), Ruth Bryant (RAGT), Jonathan Jones (The Sainsbury Laboratory), Phil Taylor (CABI).

Tuesday, 7 December

Session 4: FRAMING POLICIES AND STRATEGIES IN PLANT HEALTH – Diane Saunders (JIC), Gerry Saddler (SASA), Ian Toth (Hutton).

Session 5: BEYOND PESTICIDES – Dick Shaw (CABI), Katherine Denby (York), Alessandra de Souza (Brazil).

Session 6: RAISING WIDER AWARENESS OF PLANT HEALTH – Ralf Lopian (IPPC), Jo Rodgers (Access Agriculture).

Wednesday, 8 December

Session 7: CREATING PLANT HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS – Cambria Finegold (CABI), Neil Boonham (Newcastle).

Session 8: TREE HEALTH AND RESILIENT LANDSCAPES – Lisa Smith (DEFRA) and Anna Brown (Forestry Commission), Estrella Luna-Diez (Birmingham), Steve Woodward (Aberdeen).

Other events

• Offered papers by researchers from across Europe on recent plant pathology research.
• RK Wood Prize: guest lecture by Sophien Kamoun
• Poster sessions
• PH Gregory Competition (student presentations)
• JH Colhoun Competition (posters)
• Sponsor stands
• Photographic exhibition

For the full programme click here 

Competitions

The meeting will include the PH Gregory Award for first-time speakers and the J Colhoun Award for postgraduate posters. These are organized by the BSPP and are worth £500 each. For more details see the BSPP website under ‘Conferences’. Please indicate when you register if you wish to take part in these competitions.

Support Grants for BSPP members

The BSPP is committed to inclusivity and offers support for members with additional needs, including but not limited to those with impaired mobility, hearing or sight and young babies. Details of the Carer Support Grant are available on the BSPP website. Please let us know of your requirements so we can do our best to enable you to attend and enjoy the conference. Travel grants are also now available for attending BSPP conferences.

Covid-19

The Edgbaston Conference Centre and meeting organizers will be running events in compliance with existing UK regulations. We are optimistic that, despite current restrictions on travel and assembly, we will be able to run a full meeting.

Registration

The meeting is sponsored by the BSPP and the EFPP and offers reduced rates to members of both societies. Accommodation has been reserved at the Edgbaston Conference Centre. Places are limited, so you are encouraged to complete your registration as soon as possible.

Early-bird rates are available until the 15th October. After this the costs of registration will increase, as shown below. We are unable to refund fees unless UK government policy on Covid-19 forces cancellation or because the conference centre is closed.

Offered Contributions

In addition to the invited speakers, there will be opportunities for offered talks related to the broad themes outlined above. Poster sessions on all aspects of plant health will also be available.

Click here to view and complete the abstract submission form.

Complete the form below by 31 October at the latest.

Costs/Tickets

For ticketing options, please scroll down. 

All fees will increase by 20% after the 15 October.

For invited speakers we pay all expenses so there’s no charge.

Travel Assistance

The BSPP Travel Fund is open to members of the Society to assist with expenses for conferences, study tours and visits. Students are particularly encouraged to apply. Awards will be made by a Committee of the Board whose decision shall be final. In judging applications, the Committee will take into consideration the nature of the visit in relation to the work of the applicant and the aims of the Society. All applications will be considered on their merits. Click here to read more and apply.

Remote access

We plan to make speaker sessions available online. Further details and costs to be announced at a later date.

Sponsors and trade stands

Please get in touch with Dr Eric Boa (meetings@bspp.org.uk) for further details.

Poster

You can download a poster to print in either A4, A3 or A2 format.