Advancing Agriculture: How can crop science
and technology contribute to feeding nine billion people?
December 14-15, 2009
The Royal Society, London
December 14, 2009
Welcome and Introduction
Chair: Professor Lorna Casselton FRS, Foreign Secretary, The Royal Society
Challenges for global agriculture
Professor David Baulcombe FRS, University of Cambridge
Reaping the Benefits: science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture
Dr. Julia L. Kornegay, North Carolina State University
21st century systems agriculture report
Professor John Beddington FRS, Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government
Food security for the 21st century
Professor David Tilman, University of Minnesota
Global perspective on food security
Panel discussion
Lunch
Crop improvement and crop management
Professor Jonathan Jones FRS, The Sainsbury Laboratory
Advances in disease resistance, including molecular basis for virulence and defence in host-pathogen interactions
Dr. David Weller, USDA-ARS, Washington State University
Rhizosphere biology and disease suppressive soils
Professor Graham Moore, John Innes Centre
Genetic improvement of wheat, including the isolation of the Ph1 locus and introgression of traits from alien species
Discussion
Professor Jonathan Napier, Rothamsted Research
Nutritional enhancement in crop plants, including fatty acid biosynthesis in plants for the nutrition of people and fish
Professor Jules Pretty OBE, University of Essex
Agroecology
Dr. Sara Scherr, Ecoagriculture Partners
Managing biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems
Discussion
December 15, 2009
Crop improvement and crop management (continued)
Dr. John Reganold, Washington State University
No-till agriculture
Professor Neil Baker, University of Essex
Efficiency of photosynthesis in crop plants, including manipulation of the light and dark reactions
Dr. Robert Zeigler, International Rice Research Institute
Yield plateau for rice
Dr. Les Szabo, USDA/ARS at University of Minnesota
How rusts overcome wheat genetic resistance: implication for UG99
Professor John Pickett FRS, Rothamsted Research
Integrated pest management, including push pull control of striga and stem borer
Professor Michael Timko, University of Virginia
Cowpea resistance to witchweed (Striga)
Discussion
Lunch
Professor James Birchler, University of Missouri
Using mini-chromosomes to stack agronomic traits in maize
Dr. Ed Buckler, USDA/ARS at Cornell University
New knowledge for trait improvement in maize
Discussion
Science and policy in the public and private sectors
Dr. David Lawrence, former Head of Global Research and Development, Syngenta
Industry perspective
Sir Gordon Conway FRS, Imperial College London
(Former Chief Scientific Adviser of the Department for International Development)
Dr. Kathy Kahn, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Discussion
Closing remarks
