9th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium

Phenotyping for all: Closing the Gap in Global Agriculture

 

 

Scientific sessions and topics:

Please note:

- The list of keynote speakers will be updated in course of planning.

-  Session descriptions may be expanded later on in course of planning.

 

 

1) The Era of Multiscale Phenomics: From Molecules to Ecosystems 

Envisioned content: New hypothesis of how spatial and/or temporal scales interact to form traits.

 

Keynote: Dr. Michael Gore (Cornell University)

Title: "Sensing, Computing, and Programming Crop Traits"

Bio: 

Mike Gore is a professor of molecular breeding and genetics for nutritional quality, holds the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professorship, and serves as Section Head of Plant Breeding and Genetics in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. He earned a BS and MS from Virginia Tech and a PhD from Cornell University. Mike has made distinguished contributions to the field of genetics and genomics, particularly in characterizing genetic diversity and identifying genes and alleles for enhancing crop nutritional quality. He has been instrumental in advancing the use of field-based, high-throughput phenotyping to understand the genetic basis of complex crop traits. In addition to teaching at Cornell University, he has co-taught courses worldwide through the Tucson Plant Breeding Institute, reaching hundreds of students over the past decade. He currently serves as Editor of The Plant Phenome Journal and is a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Crop Science Society of America.

 

2) Predicting Phenotype: From Trait Modeling to Digital Twins 

Envisioned content: Biological insights gained through modeling and predicting phenotype. Used methods include but are not limited to structural functional models, dynamical systems, AI prediction.

Keynote: Dr. Ioannis N. Athanasiadis (Wageningen University & Research)

Title: "Foundations of Agricultural Intelligence - Challenges and Opportunities"

Bio:

Prof. Dr Ioannis N. Athanasiadis is the Chair of Artificial Intelligence at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The Artificial Intelligence chairgroup was recently established  with the  aspiration to advance artificial intelligence methods for addressing global challenges in a responsible way. Ioannis' research concentrates on the application of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and knowledge engineering to agricultural and environmental sciences. Within the broader research community, he co-founded and coordinates AgML, the machine learning working group of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), serves as a co-principal investigator for several national and European collaborating grants, including AgriscienceFM, AgrifoodTEF, LTER-LIFE and PHENET, which focus on advancing and validating AI in agricultural sciences. Additionally, he was an editor for Environmental Modelling and Software, Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling, and acts regularly as an evaluator for major research foundations, top machine learning conferences and scholarly academic journals. He holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and is a Fellow of iEMSs. More at http://www.wur.ai 

 

3) Field Phenotyping Under Climate Extremes 

Envisioned content: System deployments and data collection under extreme conditions

Keynote: Dr. Ndjido Ardo Kane (CERAAS/ISRA)

Title: "From Extremes Environnements to Resilient Crops:

Insights From Field Phenotyping & Data Pipelines Across the Sahel"

Bio:

Dr. Ndjido A. Kane is a recognized expert in research program management, with over 15 years of experience in leadership and coordination roles. He possesses a deep strategic vision of the agricultural sector in Senegal and a solid understanding of the dynamics of international research. Dr. Kane research activities address genetic and molecular basis of crop domestication and adaptation to environments and stresses. He uses the latest biotechnology tools to identify genetic traits governing crop performance in dryland environments as well as to exploit crop genetic diversity in prevision to climate change and for growing population’s needs and health. He is co-director of a international joined lab (LAPSE) and Director at CERAAS, a West African centre of excellency of dryland cereals.

 

4) Next-Gen Phenotyping: Precision Breeding for the Future 

Envisioned Content: Decision support systems using phenotyping methods for plant breeders.

 

Keynote: Dr. Vincent Vadez (Institut de recherche pour le développement - IRD)

Title: "Phenotyping that makes sense to promote breeding applications"

Bio:

Vincent Vadez is a crop physiologist and agronomist, initially trained as an engineer, who started his career on symbiotic nitrogen fixation. He worked for four years with a Bolivian lowland indigenous group to measure the socio-economic drivers of deforestation, engaging in multi-disciplinary research. He joined ICRISAT and worked on the genetic and mechanistic deciphering of plant traits contributing to water use efficiency (WUE) and crop performance under drought. He developed a large lysimetric platform (LysiField) for a precise in-vivo assay of water extraction and WUE, and then a 3-D scanning platform (LeasyScan) to phenotype critical leaf traits related to WUE. This work also included crop simulation modeling to characterize main stress scenarios, target key traits, and predict crop performance, overall as a mean of guiding agronomic and breeding decisions. He joined IRD in 2017, where he continues on similar research streams. He has been posted in Senegal between 2021 and 2025, hosted at CERAAS, the Regional Center of Excellence on drought research, where he has been working on the intensification of pearl millet and sorghum productivity by increasing the planting density. This led him to promote the use of agricultural straws to fill the cattle feed gap in the Sahel, caused by an increasing cattle population and a degradation of natural graze lands. He also continues deciphering genetic and agronomic traits contributing to a higher WUE.

 

5) Below-Ground Phenomics: From Root to Soil Microbiome 

Envisioned content: Insights into the interaction mechanisms of roots and their biotic- and abiotic interactions.

 

Keynote: Dr. Yusaku Uga (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization - NARO)

Title: "Visualizing Belowground with Multimodal Imaging: From Root Systems to the Rhizosphere"

Bio:

Yusaku Uga is the leader of the Crop Design Group at the Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Japan. His research integrates advanced plant phenotyping with genetics to reveal and redesign root system architecture (RSA) for the development of climate-resilient and climate-smart crops. He is best known for identifying and cloning major quantitative trait loci controlling root growth angle, including DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1), demonstrating that RSA can be engineered to enhance drought avoidance and stabilize yield under field conditions. More recently, he has pioneered three-dimensional root phenotyping approaches using X-ray computed tomography (CT), enabling the visualization and quantification of complex root traits in soil across scales—from controlled environments to real field conditions. His work also advances the integration of X-ray CT with complementary technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET), optical fiber sensors, ground-penetrating radar, and planar oxygen optodes to uncover new phenomena associated with environmental stress and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

6) Beyond GxE: Rethinking the Phenome 

Envisioned Content:  Examples where phenotyping led to hypothesis that challenge the GxE paradigm.

Keynote: Dr. Alonso Zavafer (Brock University)

Title: "Redefining the Phenome: From Multidimensional Trait Space to Hyperdimensional Framework"

Bio:

Alonso Zavafer is an Assistant Professor at Brock University, cross‑appointed in Biological Sciences and Engineering. His research integrates plant biology, biophysics, and bioengineering, with a particular focus on optical instrumentation, and photophysiology of microalgae. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Sciences from the Australian National University in 2016 and established his group in mid-2022.

Zavafer’s work is characterized by its interdisciplinary scope, spanning fundamental studies of photosynthetic systems to applied engineering solutions for sustainability. He has collaborated internationally with researchers in Australia, China, Mexico, Japan, Chile and Hungary, and Ontarian industry partners, such as Big Algae Ltd and Young Queen Biotech, and internationally with the EQT Foundation to advance algae‑based technologies. His laboratory has contributed to projects focused on biomass optimization in bioreactors, methane reduction in landfills, and most recently employing phenomics to improve algal crops such as spirulina.

His group is sponsored directly by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and direct funding from industry.

 

7) Discoveries Through Public-Private Partnerships 

Envisioned content: Partnerships that led to discoveries through products from the private market or discoveries that led to the establishment of companies.

 

Keynote: Richard Dickmann (Australian Plant Phenomics Network - APPN)

Title: "Delivering Impact at Scale through Public-Private Partnerships: Examples from the Australian Plant Phenomics Network"

Bio:

Richard Dickmann is committed to advancing the Australian agriculture sector by creating new business opportunities which capitalise on Australia’s research leadership. Richard is currently the CEO of the Australian Plant Phenomics Network. Richard obtained a Degree in Forest Science (Melbourne) and a Master of Science in Agriculture (Sydney).  He initially worked in state government agricultural extension in New South Wales and Victoria and the crop insurance industry. Richard then undertook a 30-year international career in agribusiness, which involved postings to France, Singapore, Japan, China, Germany and Australia. He gained experience in research evaluation and product development, global product management and commercial operations.  Returning to Australia in 2009, Richard led both the New Business Development and Public and Government Affairs roles and worked to identify new business opportunities linking Australian research to international organizations. Richard is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served on several boards including the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Grower Services Pty Ltd and Bayer Australia Ltd.  Based in Melbourne, Richard is married with four children.

 

8) Nutritional Phenotyping : Traits That Matter for Human and Animal Health! 

Envisioned content: Trait discoveries that lead to improved nutritional value in food and feed crops.

Keynote: Dr. Busie Maziya-Dixon

Title: "Nature, Nurture, and Nutrition: Decoding genotype-by-environment interactions in staple crops and their direct Impact on nutrient density, processing functionality, and consumer acceptability"

Bio:

Dr. Busie Maziya-Dixon is an African food and nutrition scientist whose work connects agriculture, nutrition, and public health to improve food security, diet quality, and livelihoods. Before retiring from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria, she served as a Senior Scientist in the Food and Nutrition Science Laboratory and as the Food Security, Nutrition, and Health Program Lead. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Njala University in Sierra Leone and holds a Ph.D. in Food Science from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, USA.At IITA, she led interdisciplinary teams working across agriculture, socioeconomic research, and public health. Her research contributed to improved crop nutrition, food security, and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa by evaluating staple food crops for important end-use and nutritional characteristics. The resulting data were shared with breeding programs to support the development of higher-quality crops. Her research spans three interconnected areas. First, in biofortification and crop quality, she evaluated cassava, maize, yam, soybean, and cowpea for provitamin A, mineral content, and processing quality, generating information that guides breeders in developing more nutritious varieties. Second, in crop utilization and value addition, she advanced approaches designed to increase household income and improve consumer nutrition, including innovative processing and fortification methods that preserve and enhance nutrient bioavailability. Third, in nutrition surveys and food databases, she served as Principal Investigator and overall Survey Coordinator for Nigeria’sFood Consumption and Nutrition Survey conducted in 2001–2003 and the National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey conducted in 2021. She also led IITA’s work under the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) and led the development of a Foods, Recipes, and Ingredient Lists (FRIL) database to support the assessment offoods consumed, nutrient intake, and diet quality in sub-Saharan Africa. She has published extensively in nutrition, food science, and dietetics and has mentored several young scientists.

 Jointly organized by: