Instytut Ochrony Roślin - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy

60. Scientific Session of the Institute of Plant Protection – NRI

Climate change, new threats and challenges related to plant protection

On 11–13 February 2020, the 60. Scientific Session of the Institute of Plant Protection – NRI took place in Poznań. The session was one of the plant health events that was included in the UN calendar for 2020.

The honorary patronage over the 60. Scientific Session was taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Marshal of the Wielkopolskie Voievodeship, Marek Woźniak. The patrons were also: the Greater Poland Chamber of Agriculture, the Council for the Promotion of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Young Scholars of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Polish Association for Plant Protection, the Polish Society for Plant Protection and 13 institutions representing the media.

The main topic of the 60. IPP – NRI Scientific Session was the “International Year of Plant Health” (IYPH 2020) established by the UN General Assembly (IYPH 2020), whose motto is: “Protecting plants, protecting life”. During the sessions, such important issues were discussed as: the impact of increasing climate change on plant protection, the spread of pests causing economic losses and havoc in the natural environment, and food and environmental safety.

On the first day of the Conference, i.e. February 11, on the eve of its ceremonial opening, four interesting meetings took place at the IPP – NRI Congress Centre, which gathered numerous participants. During the “Science – Agricultural Schools” Forum, a competition for agricultural schools entitled. “Integrated plant protection – a vision of the young generation” organised by the IPP – NRI under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Sessions of the forum “Science – Consulting – Practice” was mainly devoted to monitoring the phenomenon of resistance of pests to the pesticides used. The reasons for the development of immunity and ways of counteracting this phenomenon were explained. Forum participants also discussed such important topics as the use of preparations from the neonicotinoid group and the importance of registering insecticide mixtures in the development of the phenomenon of resistance in pests. The Seed Forum discussed, among others, issues related to climate change, the use of pesticides, also discussed were seed material trading and EU regulations as well as the economic condition of agriculture. PhD students and young researchers presented the results of their research during the Forum of Young Scientists.

On Wednesday, February 12, at Novotel Poznań Centrum, the 60. jubilee IPP – NRI Scientific Session was officially opened, which began with the premiere of the film “From the Colorado beetle to integrated pest management, or 60 years of IPP – NRI Scientific Sessions”. Then the Director of the Institute, Prof. Marek Mrówczyński welcomed the guests and presented the topics of this year's Conference. Extremely interesting lectures inaugurating the jubilee Session were delivered by: Krzysztof Kielak – deputy director of the Department of Plant Breeding and Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Andrzej Chodkowski – Chief Inspector of GIORiN, Rosalinda Scalia – representative of the European Commission, Directorate General of Health and Food Safety and Marek Łuczak – president of Syngenta Polska (main sponsor of the Session). In their speeches, the speakers emphasized, among others, the importance of the phytosanitary threat for European Union countries, the need for increased control of imported goods and the introduction of phytosanitary certificates. The speakers also touched on the very important issues of climate change, which favour the spread and establishment of pests in new regions, thus forcing changes in plant protection programs.

During the opening panel of the 60. Session of IPP – NRI, there was also a ceremonial introduction to the market of the “International Year of Plant Health” notecard, created in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Polish Post.

At the end of the inaugural part of the 60. Session of IPP – NRI, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Jan Białkowski and Director of IPP – NRI, Prof. Marek Mrówczyński, presented state and departmental decorations and “100 years of plant protection” medals to the distinguished employees and associates of the Institute. The official part was graced by the performance of the Song and Dance Ensemble “Łany” of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań.

This year's Session was attended by over 500 people, including representatives of the most important institutions related to agriculture and plant protection: Jan Białkowski and Ryszard Kamiński – Undersecretaries of State from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Krzysztof Kielak – deputy director of the Department of Plant Breeding and Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Andrzej Chodkowski – Chief Inspector of GIORiN, Marcin Mucha – director of the Polish Plant Protection Association, and Rosalinda Scalia – representative of the European Commission, Directorate General of Health and Food Safety, Marcel Bruins – editor-in-chief of European Seed, Garlich von Essen – secretary general of Euroseeds and Peter Button representing the International Union for the Protection of  New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The session was also attended by employees of scientific institutes, universities, provincial plant and seed inspectorates, Agricultural Advisory Centre, provincial agricultural advisory centres and phytopharmaceutical companies. Conference participants took part in the presentation and poster sessions. They could also participate in the thematic panel titled “Climate changes and their impact on plant protection” organised by the main sponsor of the Session – Syngenta Polska. A total of 60 lectures were delivered and almost 130 posters were presented.

Summing up the 60. jubilee Session of the IPP – NRI, Prof. Marek Mrówczyński thanked all participants for active participation in this scientific event, for numerous presentations and constructive discussions. Special thanks were sent to Syngenta Polska - the main sponsor of the Session, and to all institutions that took patronage over the Conference.