Invitation

Dear colleagues,

Modern agricultural production, characterized with efficient resource use, economical sound and environmental friendly, requires a high degree of control of the whole process with respect to timing, quantity and quality of production. Greenhouse horticulture is the sector where such control is made highly possible, in view of the ever more high-tech means for environmental management, the use of innovative sensors and the increasing application of ICT. Full advantage of these tools, however, can be gained only by improving on present knowledge about plant processes (growth and development ® production and product quality ® post-harvest behavior) and environment. The present socio-political consensus on reducing environmental impact of production imposes the additional constraints of reduction of resource consumption and emissions. In view of the wealth of crops, cultivars, cultivation systems, aims and constraints in greenhouse horticulture, comprehensive models and decision support algorithms are needed to generalize knowledge and to evaluate conflicting priorities that may arise.

Compared to HORTIMODEL2006, the 2012 version will put a stronger emphasis on gene-plant-crop modeling and experts in this field not working with horticultural crops are actively invited to participate.

All papers related to Models for Plant Growth, Environmental Control and Farm Management in Protected Cultivation are welcome.

The symposium is organized under the auspices of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It consists of three days scientific exchange (oral and poster sessions), one day excursion to visit a greenhouse farm in the suburb area of Nanjing. Refereed papers will be published in an issue of Acta Horticulturae that will be ready at the start of the symposium.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Nanjing, in November 2012.

Prof. Dr Weihong Luo
Convener