• The programme of the 18th EUCARPIA General Congress (9-12 September 2008) is the following:
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• Scientific topics and sessionse

The scientific topics of the Congress include modern approaches to the conservation of genetic resources and prebreeeding, improvement of breeding methods and techniques and their practical application to breeding for higher yield, resistance to stresses and improvement of quality, evaluation and release of breeding material, implications of intellectual property rights in breeding programmes, public perception of plant breeding and biotechnology.
These topics will be organized in four sessions:

1. Conservation of genetic resources and prebreeding
Present status and progress in the collection, conservation, characterization, evaluation, documentation, and enhancement of genetic resources and agricultural biodiversity.

2. Breeding for yield and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses
Advances in breeding for higher yield under optimal and marginal conditions, and resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses that limit the crop production.

3. Breeding for quality
Advances in breeding for improved sensorial and nutritional quality, functional foods, and breeding for quality for industrial purposes.

4. Evaluation and release of breeding material and new breeding objectives.
Developments in the evaluation and release of improved materials, implications of intellectual property rights in breeding programmes, public perception of plant breeding and biotechnology, and trends in breeding for future needs.

Invited Conferences

• Session 1: “Plant genetics resources for future breeding” (Dr. Andreas Borner; IPK-Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Germany)
  
• Session 2: “Genomics approaches to improve tolerance to abiotic stresses” (Prof. Dr. Roberto Tuberosa; University of Bologna, Italy)
  
• Session 3: “Breeding for quality in crop plants by using genetic and genomic tools” (Prof. Dr. Richard Visser; University of Wageningen, The Netherlands)
  
• Session 4: “Genetic and genomic approaches for improving biofuel production from maize” (Dr. Yves Barriere; INRA-National Institute of Agronomic Research, France)