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The 28th International Horticultural Congress, Lisbon, 2010: Review and Reflections

Luis Rallo Chair IHC2010 Scientific and Programme Committee University of Cordoba, Spain António A. Monteiro Co-Presidente IHC2010 Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal

Keywords: horticulture, International Society for Horticultural Science

Abstract A review of the impact and success of IHC2010 is based on an evaluation of

various events in the programme, analysis of various trends that influenced the attendance and organization of scientific meetings, registration data, comments prepared by symposium and seminar conveners, an analysis of geographic origin of IHC participants, the number of abstracts of invited and oral presentations, and poster presented in the various colloquia, symposia, seminars and thematic sessions. Included is a summary of the scientific highlights and thematic clusters. This is followed by an analysis of specific congress events and presentation options such as e-posters, short-oral poster presentations, exhibition, brokerage event and post-congress technical tours. Very positive replies from an on-line inquiry of participants confirmed the high quality of the Congress. A review of the innovate aspects of the IHC2010 and some of its drawbacks will be helpful in the preparation of future IHCs.

INTRODUCTION The IHC is the opus magnum of the ISHS. Every four years there is strong

competition between countries to have the privilege of hosting the Congress. Organizers strive to employ their best efforts so that participants’ expectations will not be disappointed.

The English word “congress” is similar in other languages and derives from the Latin congressus, from con (with) plus gradi (walk to). Etymologically speaking participants go to a place.to get together, and to interact. Meeting people, networking and communicating are the objectives of a congress.

Experts working on a specific professional matter convene together because their focus or common interest is easily identified. The same does not necessary apply to horticulture due to its high internal diversity consisting of many crops and diverse and specialized scientific disciplines. A Horticultural Congress must accommodate specific interests to attract participants but must also include topics of general concern to construct a matrix that can hold together and embrace the diversity that is horticulture.

The science we apply in horticulture is focused on technological development and innovation but the ultimate goal is the application of the users of this information Therefore the presence of the industry at the Congress is a must to give focus and credibility to horticultural science.

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The programme of the 28th IHC was designed having these premises in mind and included colloquia, symposia, seminars, thematic sessions, workshops, exhibitions, and a brokerage event. Whether this was too diverse or not diverse enough is a difficult question and one without a “correct answer”. Horticulture has very soft borders and interacts with an increasing number of scientific disciplines. New crops are grown every day, new uses for current produce and products appear continuously on the market, and consumers constantly challenge the industry’s innovative capacity. In such a dynamic world it is not easy during a congress to depict the diversity of horticulture and simultaneously to emphasize the common ground in order to underscore the links and the glue that bind the complexity that is horticulture.

The objective of the present article is to present facts and figures about the Congress, to evaluate the impact and success of the various events in the programme, and to discuss the various trends that influenced the attendance and organization of scientific meetings. In this task the authors counted with the valuable collaboration of the conveners of symposia and seminars to depict and analyse this memorable event.

IHC PARTICIPANTS There were 3434 participants and accompanying persons at the Lisbon Congress,

the highest number since the 22nd IHC in Davis, California (USA) in 1986. The geographic origin of the delegates was fairly well distributed around the world.

The top-ten countries with the highest number of participants included four non-European countries and, for the first time, a country from South America (Table 1). Besides the top-ten there were also relatively large delegations from Australia (73), South Korea (63), South Africa (60), and Mexico (35). Participation from 100 countries covering all parts of the world emphasised the global character of the Congress.

As a result of geographic proximity, 54% of participants came from Europe (Table 2). Asia and Oceania come in second with 26% followed by North America (8.4%), South & Central America (7.7%), and Africa (4.0%).

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME The IHC delivered an extensive scientific program. A total of 4567 presentations

(Left) Flags at the entrance of the Lisboa Congress Centre (CCL); (Right) Logo of the International Horticultural Congress, Lisbon, 2010.

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by 3186 attendants from 100 countries were distributed in 9 colloquia, 18 symposia, 14 seminars, 17 thematic sessions, and 26 workshops (Table 3), the largest quantitative contribution to any IHC ever held. The 4467 abstracts presented included 171 invited speakers, 773 oral presentations, and 3523 posters from which 806 were short-oral presentations.

The Scientific Program incorporated a large diversity of events and topics and its success was due to the commitment of the members of the ISHS Executive Committee and of many ISHS members who served as conveners.

The Opening Session was chaired by Jorge Sampaio, a former President of the Republic of Portugal and presently the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. In his lecture entitled “Some reflections on sustainable development, diversity and human dignity,” Dr. Sampaio addressed the main challenges confronting sustainable development in the 21st century and stressed the importance of preserving bio-diversity and cultural diversity.

Table 2. Distribution of participants among continents. No. countries

represented Participants

Continents No. % of total Africa 21 126 4.0 Asia and Oceania 28 818 25.7 Central & South America 11 244 7.7 Europe (incl. Russia) 37 1729 54.3 North America 3 269 8.4 Total 100 3186 100.0

Table 1. Top-ten countries in number of participants. Country No. participants Spain 398 Italy 228 Portugal 227 Japan 209 United States of America 182 Brazil 179 China 172 Germany 119 France 98 The Netherlands 92

Table 3. Scientific programme at a glance.

Events (no.) No. oral sessions

No. invited speakers

Oral presentations No. posters

Total abstr. No. No. short

Colloquia (9) 9 29 29 Symposia (18) 138 98 488 548 2155 3289 Seminars (14) 36 31 119 87 230 467 Thematic sessions (17)

42 13 166 171 332 682

Workshops (26) 26 102 oral presentations Business meetings (13)

13 Undetermined number of informal presentations

Total 171 773 806 2717 4467

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Colloquia consisted of two-hour sessions focusing on cutting-edge topics and allowing open discussion. The Opening Colloquium, chaired by Dr. N. Looney, focused on two subjects of general and current concern: conserving biodiversity (Cary Fowler) and new biological approaches to agriculture (Pere Puigdomenech). Eight more colloquia were held in two concurrent sessions at the beginning of each of the four days of the Congress with the following topics: (1) Challenges and Opportunities for Horticulture in a Dynamic Global Economy, (2) Nanotechnology: Potential Applications, (3) Plant’s, People and Places, (4) New Generation Sequencing in Horticultural Research, (5) Educating the Next Generation of Professional Horticulturists, (6) Technological Innovation in Horticulture, (7) Iberian Encounter with America and Asia: Exchange of Horticultural Plants, and (8) Coping with Reducing Pesticides. The colloquia were chaired by 9 prestigious and experienced scientists (P. Arús, F. Bliss, I. Crute, G.R. Dixon, E.W. Hewett, J. Janick, J. McFerson, P. Tonutti, and I.J. Warrington) and included 29 topics addressed by renowned invited speakers.

Symposia represented the core of the Congress with 98 invited speakers, 488 orals, and 2702 posters, which represented 74% of the total number of abstracts submitted. Symposia varied from 451 abstracts in the four-day S02-Postharvest to 22 in the one-day S17- Protea symposium (Table 4). Symposia such as S01 Berries and S11 ISA Fruit were promoted by groups gathered around EU projects that come to the Congress to reach a larger audience.

(Left) IHC Lisbon 2010; (Right) flags of Spain, Portugal, EU, ISHS, APH and SECH.

(Left) Almost 2000 people attended the Opening Session of the Congress; (Right) the high number of posters on display at Pavillion 2.

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Seminars topics were diverse and quite specific but complemented the themes of symposia. There were 31 invited speakers, 119 orals, 317 posters, including 87 short orals totalling 467 abstracts for the 14 Seminars (Table 5). Seminars such as Med Fruit Tree Pests, Soilless Cultivation or Fruit Growth were organised in tandem with symposia forming clusters around the same topic. The concept of clusters also included colloquia, thematic sessions and workshops

Thematic Sessions (Table 6) accommodated contributions that did not fit into symposia and seminars. Topics such as citrus, crops physiology, genetics and breeding, micro-propagation, plant pathology and pests were well attended and highlighted areas receiving increasing interest by the participants.

Workshops (Table 7) were informal meetings on diverse topics emphasizing round table discussion, some of them related to symposia and/or seminars. The workshops were useful to build up initiatives for scientific cooperation between groups or between groups and the industry that represent an interesting forum to bridge science with innovation requirements.

SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS AND THEMATIC CLUSTERS Comments by the conveners of the various events were edited and combined to

summarise and highlight the most relevant aspects of the scientific programme. Although the conclusions reflect the authors’ view they were dependent from the information provided by the conveners.

(Left) Participants eating and relaxing in Burnay Garden; (Right) band playing traditional Portuguese music during the Welcome Party to illustrate a typical “Arraial Alfacinha”.

(Left) The colorful and vibrant drum orchestra “Toca a Rufar” closed the Opening Session; (Right) musical performance “Fado: The History of a People”.

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Table 4. Symposium overview.

Events No. days

No. oral sessions

No. invited

speakers No. orals

No. short orals

No. posters

Total abstracts Conveners

S01. Berries 4 10 7 36 40 215 298 Mezzetti, Oliveira S02. Postharvest 4 14 1 60 87 303 451 Catwell, Almeida S03. Greenhouse 3 8 7 20 68 133 228 Castilla, Van Kooten, Sase, Meneses S04. Genomics 3 8 5 32 29 119 185 Folta, Talón S05. Hortgen 1 3 4 6 21 31 62 Litz, Pliego S06. Medfruits and Nuts 3 8 4 33 17 122 176 Batlle, Caruso S07. Emerging Health 3 8 7 28 8 98 141 Desjardins, Tomás-Barberán S08. Olivetrends 2 5 5 16 27 78 126 Tous, Gucci /Fevereiro S09. Ornamentals 4 11 7 40 48 228 323 Cermeño, Plumer S10. Horticulture for

Development 2 5 4 17 12 26 59 Kahane, Wasilva

S11. ISAFRUIT 4 11 12 50 0 104 166 Corelli-Grapadelli, Callesen, Bonany S12. Genetic Resources 4 11 6 30 73 166 275 Hummer, Díez S13. Quality-chain

Vegetables 3 8 5 24 36 141 206 Rosa, Tavares de Melo

S14. Organic Horticulture

3 8 5 30 40 109 184 Aksoy, Mourao

S15. Climwater 2 5 7 21 3 74 105 Ferreira, Fernández S16. Vitis&climate 2 6 6 21 12 120 159 Bravdo, Medrano S17. Protea 1 3 2 11 0 9 22 Leonhardt, Leandro S18. Bananas and other

Tropical Fruits 2 6 4 13 27 79 123 Gubbuk, Wünsche, Reinhardt, Staver

Total 138 98 488 548 2155 3289

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Table 5. Seminar overview.

Events No. days

No. oral sessions

No. invited speakers

No. orals

No. short orals

No. posters

Total abstracts Conveners

Sm01. Modeling Perennials 1 1 0 8 0 7 15 Verstraten Sm02. Med Fruit Tree Pests 1 3 5 6 6 23 40 D’Onghia Sm03. Portuguese and Spanish

Influence on Gardens 1 1 1 4 0 3 8 Groening, Rinaldi

Sm04. Soilless Cultivation 1 3 3 9 8 29 49 Schnitzler Sm05. Horticultural Education 1 3 2 12 5 3 22 Hewett Sm06. Capacity Building for

Plant Breeding 1 3 1 5 15 8 29 Martin, L., Martín, A.

Sm07. Underutilized Pome Fruits

1 2 3 7 5 3 18 Postman

Sm08. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

2 5 2 20 9 73 104 Mathe

Sm09. Reproductive Biology 1 3 1 10 20 22 53 Herrero, Hormaza Sm10. Producers and

Consumers 1 3 1 15 7 8 31 Oppenheim

Sm11. Ornamental Horticultural and Invasive Plants

1 2 2 5 0 5 12 Schutzki

Sm12. Microbial Molecular Profiling

1 2 3 4 8 7 22 Welbaum

Sm13. Fruit Growth 1 3 3 12 4 27 46 Palmer Sm14. Turfgrass Management 1 2 4 2 0 12 18 Panayiotis Total 36 31 119 87 230 467

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Table 6. Thematic session overview.

Events No. days

No. oral sessions

No. invited speakers

No. orals

No. short orals

No. posters

Total abstracts Conveners

T01. Biochemistry 1 2 1 6 12 2 21 Talon, Tadeo T02. Citrus 1 3 0 18 0 44 62 Albrigo T03. Crop Physiology 1 3 1 10 12 38 61 Chaves T04. Economics and

Management 1 2 0 12 4 12 28 Oppenheim

T06. Knowledge and Innovation 1 2 0 12 2 0 14 Hewett T07. Engineering and

Automation 1 1 0 6 7 2 15 Sase, van Henten

T08. Fruit Production Systems 1 3 0 12 14 13 39 Webster T09. Genetics and Breeding 2 5 0 8 39 41 88 Leitao T10. Integrated Pest Management 1 2 0 14 7 16 37 Hale T11. Landscaping 1 1 0 2 2 2 11 Groening, Rinaldi T12. Micropropagation 2 6 4 17 18 33 72 Drew T13. Mineral Nutrition 1 2 0 11 14 30 55 Fernández-Escobar T14. Modelling 1 1 1 2 6 8 17 De Melo e Abreu T15. Plant Pathology 1 3 3 9 14 37 63 Hale T16. Plant Soil and Environment

Sciences 1 3 0 14 13 14 41 Schnitzler

T17. Propagation and Nursery Management

1 2 3 7 7 23 40 Criley

T18. Urban Horticulture 1 1 0 6 0 12 18 Groening, Rinaldi Total 42 13 166 171 332 682

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Table 7. List of workshops (convener). Ws01. Genetics and Biotechnology in Posharvest (Fernández-Trujillo and Toivonen) Ws02. Promoting collaboration between ISHS, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and Bioversity International (Hummer, Fowler,

Williams) Ws03. Odemira: Horticulture in a Natural Park (Rosa) Ws04. Ornamental Plants and Pollution (Maguey) Ws05. The Rocha Pear in Portugal (Correa, Torres Paulo) Ws06. Vasco da Gama: ISAFRUIT-Project Experience (Bertschinger, Corelli-Grapadelli, van der Laas, van Schalk) Ws07. Genomics and Breeding of Olives (Baldoni, Valpuesta, de la Rosa, Muleo) Ws08. Horticulture in the Pacific Islands (Taylor, Halavatau, Markham) Ws10. Asian-Pacific Landscape and Urban Horticulture ( Rinaldi) Ws12. What do we mean by quality? (Nicola, Brueckner) Ws13. Taxonomic Name Changes upon Horticultural Trade and Exchange (Criley) Ws14. Olive Genetic Resources (Rallo, Sbitri) Ws15. Fruits: a Neglected Wealth in Developing Countries (Ganry) Ws16. Perception and Acceptance of GM Horticultural Crops (Gray) Ws17. Abscission Regulation and its Application in Horticulture (Meir) Ws18. Advocacy for Horticultural Science (Stanley) Ws19. Biodegradable Plastics in Horticulture (Heisswolf, Guerini, Martín-Closas) Ws20. GAP in Protected Cultivation of Vegetables (Schnitzler, Leonardi) Ws21. Global Strategy for Nut Aflotoxin Safety (Calgagni, Lagana, Hokmabadi, Avanzato) Ws22. Industry Priorities on Research on Fruits and Vegetables (Trentini) Ws23. Networking the FAV and Health Networks (Desjardins) Ws24. Minor and Underutilized Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops for Nutritional Security in the Exist Century (Mitra) Ws25. Molecular-Marker Utilization in Horticulture and Horticultural Science (Bassil) Ws26. Proteaceae in the Global Economy (Petty) Ws27. Functional-Structural Plant Models (Costes, Hanan) Ws28. Grapes and Climate Change: International Cooperation (Bravdo, Medrano)

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Genomics and Transformation Current advances on Genomics and Transformation were presented in specific

symposia (S04 and S05), in events related to breeding (Sm06 and T09) and in most of crop-related symposia (S01, S06, S08, S09, S11, S16, S18), seminars (Sm13), thematic sessions (T01and T02) and workshops (Ws07 and Ws25).

The Horticultural Genomics Symposium and some sessions in crop related events featured many sparkling examples of how genomic tools are being used to answer questions in valuable crops. Some of the most important work was translational, that is, testing hypotheses in crop plants based on findings in model systems. Excellent examples were seen in citrus, apples, strawberry and even initial progress in onions and olives. The work in grapevine started with genomics and moved into metabolomics and aromas; in citrus was directly applied to various breeding; and in strawberry to breeding for cold resistance and photoperiodic flowering. These were just a few of the highlights of a wide variety of crops and tools, as well as clever applications that were presented. The completion of the genome sequence on different species (strawberry, grape and melon) and the identification of a gene—JAT—involved in the control of the juvenile-adult transition in olive will much facilitate the breeding of those species

At the S05 HORTGEN Symposium it was shown the clear evidence of the important role of the FT (Flowering locus T) gene in flowering. The incorporation of this gene into different woody species, e.g., apple, plum, citrus and olive, has induced in vitro flowering, leading to the conclusion that the FT protein, travelling from the leaves to the shoots, could be the so called “florigen.” It has also been a success isolating and determining the expression of many genes involved in relevant functions in the most important ornamental species such as the development of plant ornamental features, the transition from vegetative to reproductive phase, or postharvest features. In workshop Ws16, the concept of cisgenic plants, obtained through genetic engineering but containing genes that would be present only in conventional breeders’ germplasm was discussed. Cisgenic plants could be a valuable approach to make the European public become comfortable with GM crops, although it would be desirable that those plants could be considered as nontransgenics under EU regulations.

Genetic Resources Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources was a leitmotiv along the

Congress. Besides the specific Symposium S12 other related events refer to genetic resources of many crops (S06, S07, S09, S13, S14, S16, S18) usually focused in an integrated approach related to breeding and genomics. Other events emphasized also the current worry on the preservation of biodiversity as a major caution in respect to climatic change (Introductory Colloquium, Sm07, Ws02, Ws13, Ws14 andWs24),

There was a general concern about the conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of various crops including not only ex-situ collections, but also the conservation issues of local farmers. The precarious existence of world genebanks in the present economy was highlighted by discussing the potential closure of the Pavlovsk Research Station of the Vavilov Research Institute, near St. Petersburg, Russia. Delegates heard concerns regarding the effect of climate change on fruit conservation; implementation of new electronic information management systems; improved protocols for cryogenic preservation and in vitro culture including adding antioxidants during cryopreservation; next generation sequencing and high throughput genotyping for gene

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identification; and molecular markers to fingerprint cultivars and assess genetic relationships. Conservation of underutilized crops was highlighted and is needed to aid in the achievement of the millennium goals in human food and nutrition and to reduce the numbers of 0.83 billion underweight or 2 to 3.5 billion malnourished people. Traditional seed conservation techniques in India were described, including such local low-cost solutions as mixing eggplant and tomato seed with ash, yams with red soil, or encasing seed in cow-dung to prevent rotting. Conservation issues for vegetable, temperate and tropical fruits, nuts and ornamentals filled the remaining two days. The international effort to conserve biological diversity in botanical gardens, “Plants for the Planet” was also described. The symposium ended with the presentation of Chilean research to domesticate wild thistle, a relative of the artichoke. In traditional crops like olive the initiative of the International Olive Council on the establishment of a network of national Germplasm Banks in more than 20 countries may lead to significant advances in the conservation and use of Genetic Resources in this outstanding fruit species.

An excellent framework outlining a systematic approach to understanding the complex genetic composition of different banana types and how this knowledge is being used in breeding was presented in S18. This was complemented by a presentation showing the importance of agronomic and molecular characterization of banana accessions to feed into such breeding programs. Hybridization of existing cultivars was identified as a useful approach to address certain production constraints while ensuring fruit quality in pineapple. Alternatively, constraints could also be addressed exploiting the existing diversity in crops and looking at diversifying the market (e.g. banana export industry). Finally, the introduction of cultivars from other regions can also be an option to support an emerging industry as shown with papaya in Turkey.

Crop Physiology Significant advances in relevant aspects of Crop Physiology were presented in

T03, Sm08 and Sm09 and in the events of different crops (S01, S06, S08, and S09). Thematic session T03 covered a very large number of topics, ranging from whole

plant physiology to biochemistry and molecular biology, including the study of transgenic crops (e.g. tomato transformed with ALA). The effect of abiotic stresses on crop performance was tackled in several presentations, namely with respect to saline stress (e.g. screening genotypes for increased resistance to salinity), to high or low temperature (as e.g. the application of temperature stress to roots aiming at the production of high quality spinach; the assessment of frost tolerance in walnut) and to nutrient stress. Effects of mycorrhizal fungi on stress tolerance were also presented. The study of hormones as modulators of plant growth was the subject of different presentations (ABA, GA, ethylene). Manipulation of canopy size or strength was shown to produce important effects on apple root system (size and function). Kaolin that reduces heat stress in the canopy led to increased fruit mass and colour, in apple. An interesting discussion arose following the presentation on Flint (strobilurine) application on apple fruits. Besides its fungicidal effects Flint appears to affect calcium metabolism in fruits with effects on their quality.

Seminar Sm08 focused in how flower biology is responsible of the subsequent fruit set, a real issue with important implications in horticulture. A brilliant talk on the evolution and development of reproductive biology in primitive angiosperms was presented. Knowing how flowers have evolved in early-divergent flowering plants provides clues to understand the mechanisms that are currently involved in optimizing

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fertilization and yield in most crops where seeds and/or fruits are the final products of interest. The topics discussed during the seminar covered from early flower development to pollen pistil interaction up to fruit set. A wide range of crops with very different horticultural questions dealing with reproductive biology were addressed. It was encouraging to see how different problems show common underlying conserved mechanisms and similar strategies are available to provide solutions to those problems in order to optimize fertilization and seed and fruit set in a wide range of crops. An innovative and impressive presentation about the influence of photoperiodism on banana flowering and its consequences in subtropical regions was held at S18 to show that plantain ‘Maricongo’ is less sensitive to photoperiodism than Cavendish type cultivars

Seminar Sm13 examined fruit growth in pome and stone fruit, peeling back the details of growth, from classical changes in fresh weight and dry weight, to modelling fluxes of water and carbohydrate, and finally to gene changes during apple growth and maturation. This is a key area of whole plant physiology with major influences on product quality and customer satisfaction and purchasing preferences. The science is being aided by advances in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, but also by new ways of measuring fluxes of water and carbohydrate into the fruit. Fruit gauges able to monitor small changes in fruit expansion have given us new insight into carbon and water flows, while the PETIS system can monitor, in real time, fluxes of radio tracers into fruit.

Production Systems The most relevant scientific and technological advances on greenhouse production

systems and efficient use of inputs were presented in S03 including the last developments in integrated and organic greenhouse systems, greenhouse equipment, and materials and climate control. Updates on crop growth optimisation, quality and modelling, the socio-economics of greenhouse production, the environmental impact of greenhouse production and recycling issues also received major attention in the symposium. Session S03 was complemented by Sm04 and Ws20 in a cluster focused on GAP in protected cultivation of vegetables, optimization of crop management in greenhouses and greenhouse climate control following good agricultural practices. This cluster built the ground for some lively discussion on economical structure of the horticultural industry and if yes, what effective programs should be implemented and by whom: (1) government institutions; (2) the private sector; (3) various market forces?

The successful production of tropical fruit crops (S18) in the subtropics is largely dependent on climatic factors. Banana can achieve high yields in the subtropics. However, undesirable fruit quality and long cropping cycles are often experienced. Tropical fruits like rambutan, mangosteen or durian cannot be economically cultivated in the subtropics due to their high temperature and humidity requirements. By contrast, mango, litchi and avocado are widely cultivated commercial crops in many subtropical production areas and the success is based on research and innovation in crop management practices. A comparison of banana production methods in Turkey concluded that fruit yield in greenhouse production can be 60% higher than in open-field plantations.

An integrated approach of the methods used for crop intensification and sustainability was a common concern in most crop-related events. For instance production methods still need further optimisation mainly to reduce their resource needs and production costs as well as to increase the availability of high quality berry fruits on the market (S01). The possibility of orchard protection in different crops by using nets of different colours can help to overcame biotic and environmental stresses and increase

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crop return in Mediterranean fruits and nuts (S06). The current status of the different planting models for olive trees (S08), traditional (100 trees/ha), the intensive model (200-300 trees/ha), high density (500–800 trees/ha) and the hedge or super-hedge row (more than 1500 trees/ha) were analysed in relation to their various advantages and disadvantages such as fruit yield, mechanical harvesting and time for investment return. The conservation and use of the available genetic resources to produce new cultivars and rootstocks in the current breeding programs aimed at shortening the juvenile period may forward the new hedge and super-hedge planting systems.

A multidisciplinary overview of the sensory quality of virgin olive oil (EVOO) in S08 led to the conclusion that the concentration of individual chemical compounds may contribute to the qualification of EVOO, supported by studies on biochemistry and molecular biology, while research on traceability and chemical characterization is still of great importance for the protection of the PDO and the breeding of new cultivars.

New trends in ornamental plants (S09) included the adaptation to climate change, the use in novel landscape purposes and floral art or the search for new types of stimuli for the consumers e.g. fragrance. The topics of oral presentations ranged from crop production such as mineral nutrition, biomass management and control of flowering to the latest advances in plant propagation and postharvest biology and technology. The Proteaceae Symposium (S17) focussed specifically on the competitiveness of the international Protea industry. The opening address highlighted the past, present and future perspectives of Proteaceae in Europe and presented some insight into Proteaceae production in South Africa, USA, Australia and Portugal.

Symposium S14, co-sponsored by FAO, ISOFAR and CIHEAM/IAMB, was a milestone for organic horticulture and a contribution to improve the efficiency of utilization of natural resources, to ensure sustainable food production and protection of the Earth's ecosystems. It also contributed to establish a group of experts working on organic agriculture under ISHS umbrella, to found a new Working Groups and to link the ISHS Commission on ‘Sustainability through Integrated and Organic Agriculture’ with other international networks. The scientific programme included six major topics: (1) Soil fertility and nutrient management; (2) Plant breeding and propagation material; (3) Rotation programs, mixed cropping and cover crops; (4) Pest and disease management strategies; (5) Sustainability indicators, economics and trends of organic products; (6) Post-harvest handling and food quality. Most of the papers related to the prevention of damage caused by pests and diseases based on preventive measures, such as appropriate species and cultivars, crop rotation, cultivation techniques and the protection of natural predators. Organic horticulture is increasing world-wide. In 2008, organic farming was practiced at least in 154 countries, where 35 million hectares of agricultural land were under organic management, of which 23.4% in Europe, 34.6% in Australia and N. Zealand and 23.1% in Latin America. The cropped area (arable land and permanent crops) constituted 8.2 million hectares and about 10% was dedicated to the production of horticultural crops (temperate and tropical fruit, citrus fruit, berries, grapes, vegetables).

Climate Changes and Water Resources The global warming effect on the sustainable use of water resources and on

different crop systems was specially addressed in various events. The increasing demand of fresh water from different sectors is putting pressure on

farmers, scientists and planners to develop more effective ways of using available water resources. The expected scenarios of population growth and climatic change suggest that

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the allocation of the water resources will become increasingly controversial. The Climwater symposium (S15) searched responses from the scientific community to main challenges derived from the need for rational and minimal use of water. It offered a comprehensive view of the latest advances in research areas that impact on crop water use and productivity, and gathered scientifically-based knowledge for a rational use of water in a changing climate. Approaches for optimizing the use of water in agriculture without forgetting socio-economic and environmental requirements, focussed to determine the most appropriate use of available land and water, were discussed. Those included new techniques for a more rational irrigation scheduling, new insights on how to irrigate with low quality water without affecting the crop or the soil, the use of cultivars with improved water-use efficiency and effective water saving techniques. This was particularly the case of adapting banana production to reduced water supply by diminishing evaporative demand (S18). In addition, it was shown how banana plants can deal with high concentrations of salt and boron in brackish water. The water theme continued with an assessment of changing rainfalls on banana production in the subtropics and the determination of crop coefficient for papaya in Cuba. Physiological measurements of gas exchange on Passiflora sp. also showed the importance of water at the level of leaf activity.

The objective of S16 symposium was aimed at dealing with the global warming effect on viticulture and oenology. Its implication was a key issue in many of the presentations and discussions and was reflected in many lectures dealing with topics such as water use efficiency, salinity, water desalination, greenhouse gases as well as positive and negative radiation effects on vine physiology and fruit and wine aroma, colour and antioxidant effects. Ws28 workshop was co-sponsored by OIV (International Organization of Wine and Vine) and consisted of round table discussion on the effect of global warming on all aspects of viticulture and oenology. The invited speakers of the panel enabled further discussions as well as suggestions for future ISHS and OIV cooperation

Other topics in the S18 symposium were the recent effects of climate changes (frost, drought, typhoons) on tropical fruits in the subtropics of China, especially on banana, mango, litchi and longan, as well as the possible measures to mitigate them in the future. Then, the use of naturally available sand soils in Pakistan as substrates for reduction of costs for acclimatization of banana plantlets produced in vitro. The dynamics of banana weevil in banana plantations of the Azores Islands was shown, as well as the effect of night temperature as important factor for flower development and fruit set in durian plants in Thailand. The diffusion of traditional fruit crops to new areas informed on specific problems of adaptation to new climatic scenarios. This is also the case of Mediterranean fruits and nuts (S06), including olive (S08) in new growing areas. The development of predictive models to estimate chilling accumulation in relation to dormancy continues to be a useful tool for assessing adaptation in these species. The negative effects of water shortage on tree gas exchanges processes in Mediterranean fruit species considered tolerant to such stresses was confirmed. Also the negative effects of high light intensity on the photosynthetic activity and dry mater partitioning that affects temperate zone fruit tree species when grown in Mediterranean areas was pointed out. On the other hand, the uniqueness of response of the olive tree to abiotic stress and the importance of integrating the different stresses and physiological processes to get a complete picture of how they act in this crop was analysed.

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Plant Protection Seminar Sm02 focused on the challenge of emerging fruit tree pests and pathogens

in the Mediterranean free trade area. Phytosanitary risk would also increase due to the lack of harmonized quarantine measures and the poor sanitary quality of plant propagating material as highlighted by EPPO and CIHEAM. Some severe pests and pathogens currently pose a serious threat to the Mediterranean fruit industry as the red palm weevil, Citrus tristeza virus, the emerging dry root rot associated to Fusarium spp., the invasive peach fruit fly, sharka in stonefruits and fireblight in pomefruits as much as to Tomato Stem and Leaf Borer, which was reported as a major threat to tomato crop production. Different innovations and IPM strategies were presented. It was concluded that EU funds should be addressed to feed and transfer the phytosanitary knowledge in the Mediterranean through training, research and implementing cooperation.

A new fungicide based on the exciting new chemical class, the triazolo-pyrimidylamines, is promising for disease control in integrated crop management systems of potatoes, tomatoes, grapes and cucurbits. Other interesting topics were presented e.g., biofumigation to reduce the expression of some important soil borne pathogens such as Rhizoctonia solani; thermotherapy as an effective mean in eradicating tomato mosaic virus from tomato seed without causing damage to seed physiological quality; and the potential of wild solanaceae to be used as root-knot nematode resistant rootstocks for solanaceous crops

Postharvest Technology The symposium on Postharvest Technology in the Global Market (S02) covered a

wide range of issues on Postharvest Science and Technology and was complemented with information in other events. It was the IHC symposium with the highest number of abstracts, which were clustered around 14 oral sessions and four poster sessions, organized around the following general themes: (1) Pre-harvest factors and harvest maturity, (2) Postharvest losses and supply-chain management, (3) Postharvest technology, (4) Flavour biology and perception, (5) Postharvest pathology and entomology, (6) Postharvest Physiology, (7) Fresh-cut and other value-added products, (8) Postharvest treatments (two oral sessions), (9) Ornamentals, (10) Non-destructive quality assessment, (11) Postharvest quality, (12) Postharvest treatments; (13) Physiological disorders, and (14) Controlled and modified atmosphere. The sessions were attended by a balanced mix of established scientists and young researchers from all geographic regions of the world, providing a stage for meaningful discussions.

S18 symposium addressed very important issues of postharvest fruit conservation management. Six MADS-box genes (MaMADS1-6) from banana were cloned to prolong shelf life of banana. These genes were expressed in the peel and pulp. It was found that MaMADS is a major regulator of ripening in banana. Fruits from the transgenic plants have much longer shelf life.

Landscape and Gardening A cluster of events consisting on Sm03, T11 and T18 addressed landscape and

gardening, an increasingly important field of horticulture in many countries. Seminar Sm03 on “Portuguese and Spanish Influences on Garden Culture and

Open Space Development” allowed for the first time that scholars from Brazil, France, Germany, and Italy addressed these issues, which seem obvious but have not been part of earlier scholarly research. So the highlight from this seminar was to bring together a

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group of people who share an interest in related topics. The strong interest is reflected in the announcement of two new working groups within the ISHS Commission Landscape and Urban Horticulture, one on “Garden and Park Issues in Tropical Cities” and another on “Traditional Landscapes.” In Seminar 14 “Environmental Issues in Turfgrass Management” the field day was exquisite and one of the best in international turfgrass meetings and conferences. The delegates visited the Stadium of Sporting football team, two golf courses and a park where they get plentiful information about establishment and management practices. In Workshop Ws10 “Asian-Pacific Perspectives for Landscape and Urban Horticulture” the presentations and discussions were very much up to the point and clearly demonstrated the huge potential which these issues encompass. T11 “Landscaping” that for the first time ever we had participants from Romania and Brazil who addressed issues of landscaping in urban open spaces. The need for more scholarly work in this field was obvious. For thematic session T18 “Urban Horticulture” the highlight was the presentation on “Home Gardens: An Intervention for Improved Health and Nutrition in Selected States of India” The posters for this session indicated the vast potential for urban horticulture which needs more research.

Horticulture Value Chains Two events, seminar (S10) Producers and Consumers in the Horticultural Value

Chain and Thematic Session (T04) on Economics and Management was celebrated. The seminar attracted considerable attention among all members of the Economics and Management Commission with the result that the number of papers that were submitted for review was far more than expected. As a consequence the thematic session T04 was initiated to ensure that all authors would have an opportunity to present their research. All sessions were extremely well attended and with virtually no “no shows”. The audience was able to meet and interact with all presenters. The Lisbon Congress also provided a platform to present the first ISHS Best Doctoral Dissertation Award. Dr Marcus Mergenthaler—the recipient of the 2011 award was presented with his award immediately prior to his presentation of the keynote address in the—Producers and Consumers in the Horticultural Value Chain seminar. With more than 350 congress participants indicating an interest in Economics and Management, Lisbon will be remembered as a most successful meeting.

Seminar Sm13 also paid particular attention to the Value Chain on Fresh Vegetables. A total of 65 oral and short presentations were presented, covering all continents and the most remote conditions, thus giving the opportunity to show the worldwide progress of vegetable production and the concerns to improve production techniques under sustainable management, envisaging an increased quality and safety products. Consequently we appreciate the concept of the chain, integrating all factors, towards sustainability and quality of the final product was well received although demanding further consolidation.

Horticulture for Development S13 was the first Symposium on Horticultural for Development at an IHC. During

two full days symposium relevant contribution by various invited speakers and other contributors presented diversified examples from all over the world and deliver cross cutting comments and recommendations: lack of data on domestic horticulture, lack of collective action between actors, need for leadership and coordination. The inter-continental representation was fairly balanced between Africa, Asia and Latin America,

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and Caribbean and Pacific Islands. In terms of contribution, 27 speakers out of the 34 scheduled gave their presentation in a pretty flexible and time keeping organization. Similarly few posters were missing from the 24 originally plan. Special mention to highlighted the presence of the organizers of the second All Africa Horticulture Congress 2012 in Nelspruit (South Africa).

Sm05 (Horticultural Education) and Sm06 (Capacity Building for Plant Breeding) addressed specifically to training activities in developing countries. The inadequacy of the traditional extension methods for promoting horticulture, the role of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in enabling extension systems to address the dynamics of horticulture, the challenges in postharvest (PH) horticulture research and training in many developing countries, student learning experiences in supply chain management in several Asian countries, plant and environmentally based issues into learning experiences of children at junior school, experiences e-learning for teaching horticultural plants, the development of breeding programs as a tool for training horticulturists and other relevant topics were presented and discussed.

Other Topics In Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP) Seminar Sm08 was well attended and

presented an overview of the recent scientific and technological achievements in MAP research and development prepared the scientific basis for interesting presentations and discussions on a wide range of subjects: plant species, production technologies and physiological and economic aspects through the medicinal values of ornamental species to be found in urban areas.

The Thematic Session on Mineral Nutrition aimed to highlight the importance of plant nutrition as a foundation science with impact on all aspects of cropping system and environmental sustainability. Presentations to the fruit tree crops session deal with foliar fertilization; contributions to improve the rate of penetration of calcium in fruit tissues by means of novel adjuvants or by the use of an electrostatic spraying device; aerial applications of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] to induce fruit quality; and micronutrients requirements and toxicities. The session on vegetables crops was composed of presentations with a varied range of topics, ranging from the use of calcium cyanamide to the nitrogen nutrition aspects in cauliflower or the use of chloride fertilizers as a mean to reduce nitrate accumulation in vegetable crops. It was of particular interest the presentation on the effect of controlled-release fertilizer (polyolefin coated diammonium phosphate) on the reduction of nitrate content in different vegetables supplemented with chloride application.

The Congress was used by EU projects: i) COST – Euroberry Research: from Genomics to Sustainable Production, Quality & Health (S01) and ii) FP6’ ISAFRUIT – Increasing fruit consumption through a trans-disciplinary approach delivering high-quality produce from environmentally friendly, sustainable production methods (S11) to held their final meetings in order to higher visibility and a larger and more diversified audience.

Some IHC events were organised or had a strong involvement of the horticultural industry as was the case of some workshops e.g. Ws03 Odemira – The best European spot for horticulture in a natural park (Odemira Growers Association); W05 – The Rocha pear in Portugal: A case study (Portugal Pear Growers Association); and Ws22 – Industry priorities and perspectives on research on fruits and vegetables (AREFLH – Assembly of European Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers Production Regions, which originated an

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interesting discussion on issues related with the importance of horticultural science for technological innovation.

SPECIFIC CONGRESS EVENTS

E-posters E-posters (electronic posters) were a new and interactive form of scientific

communication at the Congress that provided a high visibility posters never had before. This presentation system proved popular and 1500 e-posters were uploaded on the IHC website. E-posters were visually similar to printed posters and were also used for on-screen presentation during oral sessions and for on-line interaction with authors. Congress participants could visit e-posters on-line during the Congress by using computers in the poster hall or the Internet and send messages and comments to the authors, who received the messages automatically by e-mail. E-posters are still accessible on-line on the IHC webpage and the interaction with authors will continue for several months. The next step in the future could be to eliminate physical poster display saving space the cost of poster printing and poster boards.

Short-oral Presentations Despite all the efforts to give posters high visibility they continue to be regarded

as a second class choice relatively to oral presentations. To counteract this view, conveners had the possibility of inviting selected poster authors to give a 3-minute presentation during regular oral sessions. These presentations could use the original PowerPoint version of the poster, which was converted to Flash format to allow on-screen projection. During the projection it was possible to scroll and to zoom any part of the poster making tables and pictures easily visible. A group of short-oral presentations was sometimes followed by a general discussion, which enriched the debate.

Exhibition The horticultural industry, R&D institutions, scientific societies, and stakeholders

were present at the Exhibition with about 40 booths including a large one for the ISHS. The horticulture industry responded positively to the Congress invitation and their presence provided a complementary dimension to the scientific activities. The Exhibition, with the adjacent poster display halls, Internet café, and e-posters computer terminals, was the hub of the Congress and provided a lively meeting place during breaks. There was coffee, snacks, and fruit available to encourage conviviality. The Spanish Pavilion featured representation of Spanish institutions, companies and autonomic governmental agencies dealing with agriculture, and projected the image of a Congress involving all the Iberian Peninsula.

Brokerage Event The Congress included for the first time a Horticulture Brokerage Event (HBE)

with the objective of promoting bilateral meetings between horticultural professionals at an international level, creating links between producers and users of technology, establishing partnerships, and developing new R&D projects. The HBE was supported by a website, in which each participant had to register a profile with a technology offer or request. These profiles were then published in the website to facilitate the schedule of

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meetings according to participant’s intentions. A total of 550 participants registered to the HBE, with meeting requests totalizing 780.

A workshop on “International Partnerships for Technology Transfer: Best Practices in Business, Research Relationships in the Horticultural Sector” was organized in tandem with the HBE. The workshop was a success, with many participants from several countries and different professional profiles. Participants reinforced the importance of initiatives like the HBE, in the context of horticultural congresses or other similar future events, to promote technology transfer. The creation of an on-line brokerage platform was suggested by the IHC organizers and HBE participants as a tool to facilitate technology transfer between professionals in the horticultural sector.

Post-congress Tours The post-congress tours were an opportunity to interact with the horticultural

industry and supply chain and to explore the cultural heritage of Portugal and Spain. Most of the tours were organised by grower organisations, which reinforced the interaction with the horticulture industry.

The 9 one-day technical tours involved about 500 participants and included diversified destinations within driving distance from Lisbon. The topics ranged from wine and olives to vegetables and fruits but there was also time to enjoy the Portuguese countryside or to visit historic landmarks such as the historic towns of Évora and Óbidos.

A three-day tour took 50 participants to the city of Oporto and the Douro Valley in Portugal. This was the time to learn about and imbibe port wine and visit the vineyards in the impressive and historic Douro valley.

Four several-day tours in Spain involved 173 participants and included: a 3-day tour to visit ornamental horticulture in the western part of Andalusia, one of the most important regions for production of ornamental and flower crops in Spain; a 4-day tour to visit the deciduous fruit production in the Ebro Valley, in the Northwestern part of Spain, which has an important production of pome and stone fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, cherries and other stone fruits; a 5-day visit to the Island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, situated more than 1000 km to the south of the Iberian Peninsula, and where different visits were made related to tropical and subtropical ornamental, vegetable and fruit crops. Finally a post-congress workshop, in conjunction with EUCARPIA, dealing with the genetics and breeding of capsicum peppers and eggplant, took place in Valencia, in the Mediterranean coast of Spain; this post-congress workshop included oral and poster presentations, as well as a technical visit to an exhibition of pepper and eggplant diversity.

FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS ISHS congresses take place within relatively large time intervals, change from

continent to continent and are organised by a new team every time. The feedback from previous congresses can help building up a permanent organisation pattern and introducing improvements in the organisation. The IHC2014 organisers, together with the Lisbon team and the ISHS secretariat conducted an on-line inquiry to the participants present in Lisbon. This survey had 1101 respondents, which represents a 30% response rate.

The replies were very positive and confirm the high quality of the event. Thus, 70% of respondents had a good or excellent overall impression of the Congress.

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The inquiry comprised 37 questions. The rating in classes Good and Excellent was between 62 and 72% in 15 questions, between 40 and 58% in 15 questions and between 23 and 36% in only 7 questions.

The aspects of the Congress that respondents particularly liked included the diversity of sessions, meeting up with colleagues, the overall organisation, and the Opening Ceremony. They particularly disliked the poor catering, the lack of sufficient hotels near the congress centre, abstract books which were considered cumbersome, heavy, and environmentally bad. Furthermore there was some confusion in the oral sessions due to no-shows.

No-shows have been a problem in previous congresses and in Lisbon no shows was the price that was paid for a highly inclusive registration for participants from developing countries as well as countries that encountered difficulties in attendance for political reasons.

CONCLUSIONS IHC 2010 was an outstanding Congress that invested in diversity. Nine Colloquia,

18 Symposia, 14 Seminars, 17 Thematic Sessions, 26 Workshops and many technical visits and post-congress tours offered to any participant a singular opportunity for designing his/her own combination of events and for interacting with others.

“Horticultural Science at the Service of People” was both the legacy and the challenge of this Congress. Active participation was a major concern in design and development of the programme of the Congress. The IHC 2010 represented an opportunity for improved interaction among participants. The short-orals and e-posters opened new ways for a deeper and more intense participation of the increasing number of attendants. The long-time commitment of a large number of ISHS members, before at and after the Congress constructed the Programme, provided a living ambience for communication and produced a very high number of Acta Horticulture that will remain as an useful legacy for all persons involved in Horticulture. Some general conclusions based on the IHC experience may contribute to improve future ISHS Congress:

High Number of Participants The high number of 3,434 participants, including accompanying persons was a

fair representation of different geographic origins (100 countries and all continents) and an indication of the opportune call for the Congress. The very high numbers of 4467 abstracts illustrated the attractiveness of the Programme. The 18 symposia were the core of the Congress with 3289 abstracts representing 77% of the total.

Activities in Developing Countries: A Challenge for ISHS For the first time in an IHC a country from South America was among the ten

countries with the highest numbers of participants and there was a specific symposium in Horticulture for Development. These facts underscore the effort needed to be done by the ISHS to promote more activities in developing countries. In the future, the presence of ISHS in Central and South America should be stressed.

Difficulties to Control No-Shows No-shows represented a problem not only during the Congress sessions but also

afterwards for the publication of the corresponding Acta Horticulturae. No-shows are a relevant constraint for any event but it is still more critical in a large congress like IHC

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where session synchronization is essential for its successful running. How to control no-shows? It is possible to be more restricted in the selection of oral presentations and to be assured that presented authors are properly registered and paid-up at the time the scientific programme is established. This will prevent most of no-shows but this occurs at the expenses of a reduction in the number of participants especially from countries with difficulties in making international payments and travel authorisations.

E-alternative to Printed Documents The success of e-poster and short oral presentations in IHC 2010 suggests this

alternative method of presentation needs to be extended to all posters, which will eliminate physical poster display, saving space and the cost of poster printing and poster boards. The major difficulty would be to find the time required for short presentations. An alternative could be on-line presentations of part of the posters combined with short-oral presentation of selected ones. An experimental and gradual transition may be the first step to be recommended for the future.

Diversity versus Dispersion of Events and Themes Diversity of IHC 2010 was one of the major factors in its success. The question is:

how to balance diversity and to avoid dispersion. A first approach experimented in Lisbon was clustering events (symposia, seminars, thematic sessions, and workshops) related to relevant topics, e.g. genomics (S04), hortgen (S05), public perception of GMO (Ws16) and molecular marker utilization (Ws25), all four focusing to the use of these new tools in Horticulture. Events pertaining to a cluster were timetable compatible. These contributions will be published in a unique Acta. This experience will prove useful in the future.

Thematic Sessions to Launch New Areas of Interest for the ISHS The IHC offered participants the possibility to submit abstracts dealing with topics

not included in the pre-established symposia and seminars. These almost 700 abstracts submitted at large were a posteriori sorted into 18 thematic sessions, which created a number of specific areas of interest for the ISHS in crop systems or disciplines. These areas were insufficiently developed in ordinary events but may have an outstanding relevance for Horticulture Science and Technology, such as citrus, plant protection, and economics. Proposal of events related to specific topics on those crop systems or disciplines in connection with other societies may increase the activities of the ISHS in relevant subjects concerning horticulture not sufficiently developed.

Opportunities for the Organizing Countries IHC 2010 has been a unique opportunity for the host countries, Portugal and

Spain. It will be both a positive step for advancing the two national horticultural societies, APH and the SECH, in the international scientific community and for accelerating horticultural science and technology in both countries.

Summing up the goal of any ISHS Congress should be addressed to the current needs and future challenges of Horticulture in order to attend to the food demands and the quality of life requirements of the increasing world population by means of Horticulture Science.

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Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the inputs of the conveners of the IHC who provided

short reports on the development and highlights of the corresponding events (see Tables 4 to 7). The longterm commitment of a large number of ISHS members before, during, and after the sessions represents a priceless contribution that provided an unforgettable remembrance to all attendees of IHC Lisboa 2010.