| *Update (15 July 2021): A virtual meeting of the Executive Committee and TPC was held on Thursday 8 July 2021. Due to a variety of factors, it has been decided to postpone all workshops and possibly hold them within the XXXI Congress in December 2022.* |
THEME: “Facing change: assembling strategies for sugarcane farming systems”
COVID19 permitting, the joint ISSCT Workshop on Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy and Extension will be held at the Marriott Cali Hotel located in the Granada neighborhood in the city of Cali, Colombia, from November 22 to 25, 2021. It will be hosted by Cenicaña and Tecnicaña. In addition to being the epicenter of the most productive sugarcane agribusiness in the world and with nearly 240,000 hectares under cultivation, the Cauca River Valley is also a very popular tourist destination (https://colombia.travel/en/cali). Cali, the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, is famous for the salsa, the Cali fair and the joy and hospitality of its people. In addition, it houses a variety of shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and much more.
CENICAÑA (www.cenicana.org) is the research centre of Colombian sugarcane agribusiness and is responsible for producing new disease resistant varieties with higher yields, in addition to conducting research and development in agronomy, factory processes and the extension of best management practices.
The Colombian Association of Sugar Cane Technicians TECNICAÑA (www.tecnicana.org) is a technical and non-profit Institution. Created in October 1977 with the main objective of promoting technology, participation and development of professionals and technicians, on issues related to the cultivation of sugar cane and its derived industries
The Workshop will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss topics on agricultural engineering, agronomy and extension relevant to sugarcane, and the linkages between them. Delegates are encouraged to participate actively in preparing and presenting abstracts for oral presentations or posters. Apart from keynote addresses, most of the presentations will be delivered as posters that will include 5-minute oral presentations. A feature of the workshop will be several dedicated discussion sessions on the theme topics.
The Workshop will include a wide range of topics and will provide an opportunity to discuss some of the key challenges facing international sugar cane industries. The planned sessions may include:
Water management strategies for markedly changing environments
- Energy efficiency
- Deficit irrigation
- Micro-irrigation systems
- Evaluation, maintenance and economics
- Measurement, monitoring and administrative systems
- Drainage systems
Resilient sugarcane production systems for nutrient-limited environments
- Strategies for nutrient use efficiency
- Plant nutrition and bio stimulants
- Green manure, compost and vinasse
- Recycling nutrients from by-products
Associated species and conservation strategies
- Cover crops
- Mechanical weed control
- Other weed control options
Building resilient sugarcane crops with Agriculture 4.0
- Networks, IoT
- Big data and artificial intelligence
- Decision making tools platform
- Agriculture site-specific strategies
- Remote sensing
- Robotics
- Digital soil mapping
Agricultural machinery as a strategy to improve precision and efficiencies
- Mechanical practices for soil conservation
- Innovations (fertilizers machinery, weed control, tillage)
- Harvest, transport and cane quality
- Planting systems
- Trash use and management
- Field design
Maximizing sucrose accumulation
- Ripeners and chemical induction
- Alternative strategies (organic products)
Gaining resilience through extension and technology adoption
- Strategies and methodologies
- Adoption
- Progress and challenges
- Farming system services / specialist contractors
Language
The Workshop will be held in English. There will be simultaneous translation into Spanish.
Workshop format
The formal program will comprise several sessions covering specific topics. Each session will comprise a combination of oral and poster presentations and enough time for discussion and work activities.
The Workshop will include two field visits, one associated with developments in agricultural engineering, and the other more focused on agronomy. An abstract brochure will be printed and provided to delegates. Abstracts of all contributions (oral and poster) must be submitted by 1 May 2021 in accordance with the instructions published on the Workshop website.
Any questions regarding the summaries should be addressed to Prof. Bernard Schroeder (bernard.schroeder@usq.edu.au)
An Abstract template is available on the Workshop website. This template must be used.
Abstracts must be sent before the deadline (1 May 2021) to bernard.schroeder@usq.edu.au
Visas
All foreigners entering Colombia must have a passport with a minimum validity period of 6 months. Participants are encouraged to verify specific requirements for their country of origin at:
http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/colombia/nuestro-pais/visas-pais
ISSCT Membership
All delegates must have current ISSCT membership for the 2019-2022 period. The cost of membership is US $ 140. The application form and additional information is available on the ISSCT website at: http://www.issct.org/member.html
Key dates
1 May 2021: deadline for submission of abstract (s) (oral or poster).
30 June 2021: Decisions communicated to the prospective presenters on the acceptance of oral presentations and posters.
22 October 2021: Closing date of the workshop registration.
22-25 November 2021: Workshop
Costs
Workshop participants must cover their own travel, accommodation, dinner and other unforeseen expenses. The accommodation rate during the workshop has been negotiated with the Marriot Hotel in Cali. Single standard room per night: $ 392,000 Colombian pesos (estimated US $ 110) including taxes and for a double standard room per night $ 428,000 Colombian pesos (estimated US $ 120) including taxes. This price includes: buffet breakfast, wi-fi router per room, executive floor. The link to make hotel reservations will shortly be available be on the Workshop website.
Contact for inquiries Andrea Gutiérrez +57 3145181625, email: andrea.gutierrez@r-hr.com Remember to specify that you will attend the ISSCT Workshop.
Note: Although the hotel rates (including taxes) are in Colombian pesos, online reservations will be settled in the currency of your country. The registration fee for the workshop is 500 USD and will cover lunches during the workshop, airport-hotel-airport transportation, welcome cocktail, gala dinner and field visits. Registrations after September 10, 2021 will cost 550 USD. The registration form and payment methods will be available shortly on the workshop website.
For more information contact:
Organizing Committee of the Workshop:
Dr Fernando Muñoz (CENICAÑA, Colombia): fmunoz@cenicana.org
Dr Miguel A. Lopez (CENICAÑA, Colombia): malopez@cenicana.org
Dr Fernando Villegas (CENICAÑA, Colombia): fvillegas@cenicana.org
Martha Caballero (TECNICAÑA, Colombia): mecaballero@tecnicana.org
Chair of the Section of Agronomy and Commissioner of Agriculture:
Prof Bernard Schroeder (USQ, Australia): bernard.schroeder@usq.edu.au
Chair of the Agricultural Engineering Section:
Dr Pierre Todoroff (CIRAD, La Reunion): pierre.todoroff@cirad.fr