The 4th International Symposium on Genomics of Plant Genetic Resources (GPGR4) took  place in Giessen, Germany, from September 3-7, 2017.

 

Plant genetic resources represent the fundamental basis for crop improvement, enabling breeders to meet demands for sustained agricultural productivity in the face of human population growth, dwindling agricultural production areas and fluctuating climatic conditions. As with the first three successful GPGR symposia in Beijing, China (2005), Bologna, Italy (2010) and Jeju, Korea (2013), GPGR4 helped to lay a foundation for ongoing efforts to assemble, manage and characterise plant genetic resources using the continuous and rapid advances in the field of genomics.

 

The continuing revolution of genomics technologies provides unprecedented opportunities for detailed genetic characterisation of the vast reservoir of diversity represented by international collections of crop genetic resources. Genomics platforms accelerate knowledge-based management and implementation of plant diversity as a key resource for future agriculture.

 

GPGR4 was organised by a scientific committee comprising international personalities spanning the fields of crop genetics, genomics and diversity conservation. The scientific programme included 15 keynote presentations by renowned scientists along with 49 plenary presentations selected from abstract submissions. Delegates from all corners of the world attended, helping to strengthen our network of international scientists devoted to preservation and utilisation of world agriculture’s most valuable commodity – our plant genetic resources.