Dr Jana Krajnakova and Dr Henri Bailleres are looking forward to sharing Scion’s tissue culture research for forestry when Rotorua hosts an International Union of Forest Research Organisation conference in March. Photo / Supplied
Dr Jana Krajnakova and Dr Henri Bailleres are looking forward to sharing Scion’s tissue culture research for forestry when Rotorua hosts an International Union of Forest Research Organisation conference in March. Photo / Supplied
An international conference on advancing vegetative propagation technologies is coming to Rotorua.
The International Union of Forest Research Organisation is coming to the city in March for a conference dedicated to propagation technologies for forestry.
Scion is hosting the conference, which will be the sixth international conference for the organisation.
The conference, titled “The might of vegetative propagation for healthy and productive forests to face climate challenges”, will take place over five days.
Previous conferences have been successfully held since 2010 in several countries, including the Republic of Korea, the Czech Republic, Spain, Argentina, and Portugal.
In a media release issued yesterday, Dr Jana Krajnakova, a senior researcher for tissue culture and project leader at Scion, said the event would bring together researchers, university professors, and PhD students from around the world to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and address specific research topics in forestry, and more generally woody plants.
“The programme sessions proposed will cover all fields of application of vegetative propagation to preserve, assess, improve, adapt, and deploy tree genetic resources in resilient and productive forests.”
Examples of vegetative propagation technologies include cutting, grafting, layering, and tissue culture (micropropagation, including somatic embryogenesis).
Krajnakova said that in the context of rapid climate change, there was an urgent need for cost-effective, efficient tree vegetative propagation (bio)technologies for supporting the development of precision forestry and delivery of forest products and services.
“IUFRO serves as a platform for scientists and experts from around the world to collaborate on various aspects of forest research by facilitating communication and promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
“A level of prestige comes with being the host organisation. It demonstrates our leadership, expertise, and commitment to evolving knowledge in vegetative propagation technologies, while providing the opportunity to highlight our recent advancements in this area.”
Scion has done significant work in vegetative propagation technologies, with many notable achievements, including developing and refining various vegetative propagation techniques, developing and applying elite clonal forestry, and extensive research on tissue culture techniques for plant propagation.
Scion is a leader in tissue culture techniques for plant propagation for forestry. Photo / Supplied
Planned field trips include visits to Scion’s clonal forest and Minginui Nursery, where propagation technology has been used to restore land and create community employment opportunities.
Henri Bailleres, Scion’s general manager for forests to timber products, said in the release there was a marked societal dimension in forestry through the historically strong and practical involvement of te ao Māori.
“As part of this, there is going to be a dedicated space for Māori researchers to present their research and knowledge experience in indigenous propagation.”
Bailleres said indigenous knowledge and practices were crucial in New Zealand’s forestry.
“This inclusion recognises the deep-rooted connection between Māori culture and the whenua and highlights the intersection of indigenous knowledge, sustainable forest management, and global collaboration, all of which are crucial aspects of the conference’s goals and objectives.”
RotoruaNZ business events manager Vanessa Wallace said in the release Rotorua hosting the organisation highlighted Scion’s scientific excellence and promoted the city as a premier tourist destination.
“Delegates coming into the country will often stay for an extended period and have a higher average spend, sometimes bringing family with them to make the most of their time away.
“As the home of tourism, Rotorua enhances the visiting delegates’ experience through the unique manaakitanga and world-class activities only available here. It’s a real win-win for all of our visitor economy and part of what makes Rotorua so special.”
ForestSAT, an international conference on remote sensing technologies for forest monitoring and modelling, was also planned for September next year.
Rotorua was scheduled to host a second international conference for the International Union of Forest Research Organisation, in early 2025.
Conference organisers were now accepting submissions related to the vegetative propagation of trees as a primary strategy or in synergy with seed technologies to cope with climate change.
Young researchers, particularly PhD students, are encouraged to submit proposals for a chance to present their work and receive all-expenses-paid trips.
