Dear ISSCT Members
We wish to convey to you the following elements of information concerning the ISSCT and its XXX Congress, many of which are available on our website.
ISSCT XXX Congress
The ISSCT XXX Congress was held in Tucumán, North Argentina from 2 to 5 September 2019. It was preceded by the Pre-Congress Tour on 31 August and 1 September in Tucumán and was followed by the Post-Congress from 6 to 8 September in Salta and Jujuy. The Congress was held at Sociedad Rural de Tucumán which had been renovated to cater for the Congress as well as for the hosting of the Trade Exhibition.
The Congress was attended by 738 delegates from 45 countries while 190 delegates attended the Pre- Congress Tour in the province of Tucumán where both industrial and agricultural activities were showcased to them. Some 98 delegates participated in the Post-Congress Tour in the Salta/Jujuy region where San Isidro Sugar Mill and the Ledesma Corporation are located. San Isidro started its operation in 1760 and it is the oldest mill in operation in Argentina having as characteristics the production of 40,000 tonnes of organic sugar annually. Ledesma has been in operation for one century. Its Agricultural aspects showed to participants in Ledesma included: Surface, Drip, Pivot and Furrow irrigation,
Inputs, harvest and transport and Trash Recovery System. The Industrial group visited the factory, the cogeneration plant and the paper factory made from bagasse. In addition, a visit was paid to Chacra Experimental Station for a tour of field trials, especially related to cane breeding and varietal selection.
The number of oral and poster presentations at congress numbered 302 across the five Commissions of ISSCT including nine Plenary Sessions papers and six Workshops reports. The largest number of papers and posters (107) were in the Biology Commission (Germplasm & Breeding, Entomology, Pathology and Molecular Biology). The Workshop of the Management Commission was held during Congress and the Theme was “From agro-ecology to agro-economics: Frameworks for sustainable production”. The Plenary Sessions dealt with Sugarcane production and the environment, Sugarcane economics and Sugarcane versus sugar beet. The title of the Keynote address was: “Giving value to ethanol as a clean and efficient option of energy for future mobility”.
Out of the 62 ISSCT Corporate members, 58 took part in the Trade Exhibition with the booths and heavy equipment displayed in an original manner which proved popular with delegates. The Congress also included social events like the Cultural evening on Tuesday and Farewell Dinner on Thursday at which the delegates enjoyed the cultural aspects of Argentina as well as its exquisite culinary delicacies and wines for which the country is reputed for.
A comprehensive programme was organized for the 23 Partners of congress delegates. It included a tour of Tucumán with emphasis on its historical aspects, exuberant Yungas Rainforest, the ancient Monastery of Benedictine Monks at El Siambón, the dam at El Cadillal , the Sacred City of Quilmes, the Miguel Lillo Museum of Natural Sciences of Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and various sites including other museums. The attendees saw magnificent if not unique landscapes including wine production regions and enjoyed the very best of Argentinian cuisine. There was also a cooking class to teach preparation of the delicacies to the participants.
Based on the feedback received, the Congress and related activities were a huge success on account of the impeccable organization, the scientific content and the hospitality of the host country. The Congress Organizing Committee did not spare any effort to cater for the needs and wishes of the delegates and lived up to their expectations.
Congress Proceedings
Proceedings of the XXX Congress are available in the Members’ Corner of the ISSCT website. You have been given a username and password to access the Members’ Corner. In case, you need them, you are welcomed to contact the Secretariat.
Best Papers and Best Posters
As in previous congresses Awards were given to Best Papers and Best Posters in the five ISSCT Commissions. The Awards were as follows:
Best Papers
| Commission | Authors | Title |
| Agriculture James E. Irvine Award | I. Lima and P. White Jr. | Sugarcane-bagasse and leaf-residue biochars as soil amendments for increased sugar and cane yields |
| Biology Robert Antoine Award | A. Cheavegatti-Gianotto, W. Oliveira, F. Lopes, A. Gentile, R. Onosaki and W. Burnquist | Development of CTC20BT, the first genetically modified sugarcane commercially available in the world |
| Factory Emile Hugot Award | G. Kent | Understanding milling tandem control |
| Co-Products Maurice Paturau Award | G. Eggleston and G. Aita | Exploration of sugarcane products as a major source of antioxidant phenolic extracts in commercial foods and beverages |
| Management H. William Kerr Award | S. Auzoux E. Scopel, M. Christina, C. Poser and J-C. Soulié | AEGIS, an extended information system to support agroecological transition for sugarcane industries |
Best Posters
| Commission | Authors | Title |
| Agriculture Norman Joseph King Award | S. Duquesne and P. Rondeau | Development of mechanization of sugarcane harvesting in a highly constrained context : the case of Réunion |
| Biology Ernest Victor Abbott Award | R. Atencio, F-R. Goebel and V. Murillo | Host plants associated with Diatraea tabernella Dyar (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in sugarcane in Panamá |
| Factory John Clayton Award | K. Aparatana, K. Saengprachatanarug, Y. Izumikawa, S. Nakamura and E. Taira | Identification and quantification of trash in delivered sugarcane using hyperspectral imaging and chemometric techniques |
| Co-Products August John Vlitos Award | G. Aita, Y-H. Moon, C. Verrit and T. Foster | Production of xylooligosaccharides by acid hydrolysis from energy-cane bagasse as a source of prebiotics antimicrobials from sugarcane bagasse |
| Management | No Award |
2019 Early Career Award Winner
Mr. Daniel Poultney from Réunion Island, France won the 2019 Early Career Award and the prize is the sponsoring of his attendance to the next Agronomy Workshop
ISSCT Council and Executive Committee
Two new Affiliated Societies joined at Congress making a total of 29 members. They are the Asociacion de Tecnicos Azucareros de El Salvador (ATASAL) and the Asociacion de Tecnicos de Azucareros Honduras (ATAHON). Information on Council members including names of Councillors and contact details are available at http://www.issct.org/council.html
Council and Executive Committee held three and four meetings at Congress, respectively. Many decisions were taken at these meetings and some are given below.
The term of office of five members (Philippe Rott, William Burnquist, Robert Gilbert, Raul Castillo and Nicolas Gil Zapata) ended at Congress. Raul Castillo and Nicolas Gil Zapata were re-eligible and Robert Gilbert did not apply for re-election owing to professional commitments. Following election and nomination at Council level, the new ISSCT Executive Committee was composed of:
Chair: Dr. Raul Oswaldo Castillo Torres (Ecuador)
Vice-Chair: Prof. Frederik C. Botha (Australia)
Chair Technical Programme Committee (TPC): Dr. François Régis Goebel (France)
Members:
- Mr. Sanjay Awasthi (India)
- Prof. Monalisa Sampaio Carneiro (Brazil)
- Dr. Nicolas Javier Gil Zapata (Colombia)
- Mr. Juan Carlos Mirande (Argentina)
- Dr. Abdess Salem Saumtally (Mauritius)
- Bernard Siegmund (Réunion) Dr. Sopon Uraichuen (Thailand)
- General Secretary: Dr. Jean-Claude AUTREY (Mauritius) (Ex-officio)
Information on the Executive Committee membership is available at http://www.issct.org/executive- committee.html
The Standing Committees were appointed as follows:
Compliance Committee: Chair – Dr. Raul Oswaldo Castillo Torres and two Councillors to be designated at first meeting of Council at XXXI Congress
Finance Committee: Chair – Dr. Sopon Uraichuen
Members: Mr. Sanjay Awasthi and Mr. Juan Carlos Mirande
Constitution and Resolution Committee: Chair – Dr. Nicolas Javier Gil Zapata Members: Dr. Abdess Salem Saumtally and Mr. Bernard Siegmund
Hosting of ISSCT Secretariat
Following the bid process decided by Council at the XXIX Congress in Thailand, hosting of the Secretariat was awarded to the Mauritius Sugarcane Industry Research Institute (MSIRI) for two terms until the XXXII Congress. The General Secretary will be Dr. Jean Claude Autrey.
A Communication and Media Officer will be hired to strengthen the Society’s visibility and to make the work of its members known to new audiences. Resort will be made to digital and social media to publicize the Society’s events and activities as well as its contribution to advancement in science and technology. It is of note that the Secretariat has been hosted by the MSIRI since its inception in 1996.
Honorary Life Membership
Honorary Life Membership was awarded to three members who had served ISSCT and their respective sugar industries with distinction. The awardees were: Dr. Peter Geoffrey Allsopp (Australia), Dr. Manoel Régis Lima Verde Leal (Brazil) and Mr. Timothy John Murray (South Africa). Tribute was paid to them for this well-deserved award at the Farewell Dinner at Congress. A certificate and a commemorative plaque were handed to them. The names of Past and Present Honorary Life Members are given at http://www.issct.org/honorary.html
Technical Programme Committee (TPC)
The TPC which will be chaired by Dr. François Régis Goebel (France) and is composed of Prof. Bernard Schroeder (Australia) for Agriculture, Dr. Angélique D’Hont for Biology, Mr. Roderick John Steindl for Factory, Dr. Bryan Peter Lavarack for Co-Products and Ms. Kerry Redshaw for Management. The Editor, Dr. Peter Allsopp acts as Secretary to TPC.
Technical Panel
The Technical Panel was reconstituted. In addition to Members of TPC, it comprised the Chairs of the various Sections as follows:
Agronomy: Prof. Bernard Schroeder (Australia), Agricultural Engineering: Dr. Pierre Todoroff (Reunion, France), Germplasm & Breeding: Dr. Mohammad Goolam Houssen Badaloo (Mauritius), Entomology: Dr. Julien Beuzelin (USA), Molecular Biology: Dr. Derek Watt (South Africa), Pathology: Dr. Nicole Thompson (Australia), Factory – Engineering: Dr. Boris Morgenroth (Germany), Processing: Dr. Gillian Eggleston (USA), Co-Products: Prof. Bryan Peter Lavarack (Australia) and Management: Ms. Kerry Redshaw (South Africa)
Office Bearers 2019-2022
The list of all ISSCT Office Bearers in five Commissions and 10 Sections is available at http://www.issct.org/tpc.html
Workshops 2019-2022
Workshops with specialized themes will be held during the forthcoming inter-congress period as follows:
| Section | Venue/Organizer | Theme | Date |
| Agricultural Commission | |||
| Agricultural Engineering & Agronomy | Colombia | Site-specific agriculture | June 2021 |
| Biology Commission | |||
| Germplasm & Breeding/ Molecular Biology | China | Breaking yield plateaus | 2021 |
| Entomology | Thailand | Advances and challenges in IPM | February 2021 |
| Pathology | Argentina | Diseases in the Americas | December 2021 |
| Factory Commission | |||
| Engineering & Processing | Germany | Comparing beet and cane processing | September-October 2021 |
| Co-products Commission | |||
| Co-Products | Australia | Valorisation of factory products | April 2021 |
| Management Commission | |||
| Management | India | December 2022 (During Congress) |
Announcements concerning these Workshops will be circulated as from 2020.
Changes to Constitution
Various changes proposed by Executive Committee were approved by Council and concerned the duration of the tenure of office of the Chair of Council and Executive Committee, the duration of the hosting of the Secretariat and the Mission Statement.
The new amended Constitution may be accessed at http://www.issct.org/const_articles.html
Final and Interim Accounts
The Audited Final Accounts for 2013-2016 as well as the Audited Interim Accounts 2016-2019 were approved by Council at the XXX Congress.
Strategic Initiatives
International Sugar Cane Biomass Utilisation Consortium (ISBUC)
It was decided to put an end to his activity and a final report on Trash recovery, trash quantification, storage of biomass, Cane cleaning, impact of trash on cane processing (extraction/process), High fiber cane and Conversion of biomass (impact on boilers/gasification) will be submitted to all parties who have contributed to it.
New Initiatives
Following discussions at Congress four areas have been identified in which ISSCT will be active in the forthcoming inter-congress period. These are:
- Globalization of ethanol research
- Sugar and health
- Organic sugar production
- Sugarcane streak mosaic virus
XXXI ISSCT CONGRESS
At its final Meeting at the XXX Congress in Argentina in September 2019, the ISSCT Council decided through a secret ballot, as per ISSCT Constitution, to award the hosting of the XXXI Congress to The Sugar Technologists’ Association of India (STAI).
The Venue of the Congress will be Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).
he Congress will be held according the following schedule:
- Pre Congress Tour from 2 and 3 December 2022
- Congress from 5 to 8 December 2022
- Post Congress Tour from 10 to 11 December 2022
It is of note that India had already hosted the IX ISSCT Congress in 1956 and the XXIII ISSCT Congress in 1999.
Mid-Term Meeting 2019-2022
The Mid-Term Meeting of the Executive Committee and TPC will be held in Hyderabad in the first fortnight of February 2021. At this meeting all matters related to the XXXI Congress will be reviewed in addition to the usual business of ISSCT.
Membership
For the period 2016-2019 there were 1216 members from 64 countries as follows: Individual 1102, Corporate 62, Affiliated 25, Institutional 6 and Honorary Life Members 21.
Membership dues
The ISSCT Council has decided that dues for the period 2019-2022 will remain unchanged as follows: Corporate: USD 2000, Affiliated/Association/Institutional: USD 300 and Individual: USD 140.
You are invited to renew your ISSCT membership. You may do so through the online payment system at: http://members.issct.org/appform/issct_india_2022.aspx
Alternatively, you may effect payment through credit card by downloading the membership application form at http://www.issct.org/member.html and emailing it back to us, duly filled in.
You may wish to take full advantage of your ISSCT membership, pending your attendance at the XXXI Congress in Hyderabad, India in December 2022.
If you wish to have further information, do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards
Jean Claude Autrey General Secretary