GrowingMedia2021, the 2nd International Symposium on Growing Media, Soilless Cultivation, and Compost Utilization in Horticulture will be held in the historic university city of Ghent, Belgium, from 22 until 27 August 2021. The conference will be hybrid, a combination of an online and in-person meeting if the COVID19 situation allows this. Oral and poster presentations can be given both online and on the spot.
The conference will focus on sharing expertise on growing media, soilless cultivation, and compost utilization in horticulture, with sessions on growing media and sustainable use of resources, the microbiome of growing media and integrated disease and pest control, soilless cultivation: added value of innovations for water and nutrient use efficiency, and biochar and compost in horticulture and carbon storage potential.
Further, there will be specialized workshops during the conference:
- Nomenclature workshop by Jean Caron and Youbin Zheng (ISHS): ‘Glossary of terms and basic growing media characteristics and minimal characteristics, norms and methods in scientific experiments’
- Policy workshop by the European Compost Network (Stefanie Siebert, ECN): ‘EU Fertiliser Regulation – Opportunities and Challenges to place Growing Media and Soil Improvers on the European Market’
- NGS workshop by ILVO/Ghent University: ‘Next-Generation Sequencing technology and corresponding bio-informatics for microbiome analysis of soil and growing media’
- Peat workshop by the International Peatland Society (IPS)
Early-bird registrations for online participation in the hybrid conference are open from 29 April 2021 until 31 May 2021. For those who want to join the symposium on the spot, the early bird registration can be upgraded from June 1st onwards. On 1 June 2021, the organizing committee will decide based on current COVID19 measures the conditions and the number of participants for on-the-spot participation in the conference in Belgium. A surplus of € 150 per person will be charged for physical attendance. If we are limited in number of participants, participants with (a) an oral presentation and early-bird registration, (b) poster presentation, and early-bird registration followed by (c) the other early-bird registrations will get priority (on a first-come-first-served basis).
For more information:
GrowingMedia2021
www.growingmedia2021.com.