International Conference of 100 Years on Boron Research in Plants
„HAPPY BORON“
Boron celebrates its 100th Birthday as an essential mineral nutrient for plants. The Boron2023 conference will take place in Hohenheim (University of Hohenheim) from 22-23 September 2023.
Main organizers
Dr. Monika Wimmer, University of Hohenheim, Fg. Qualität pflanzlicher Erzeugnisse, Stuttgart, Germany
Prof. Gerd Patrick Bienert, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Crop Physiology, Freising, Germany
Prof. Ismail Cakmak, Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Istanbul, Türkiye; Honorarprofessor an der Universität Göttingen
Contact: For all questions regarding the Boron2023 conference, please use the following e-mail: boron2023@uni-hohenheim.de
Please check the 3rd flyer of the conference here.

Programme
The conference programme can be downloaded here.
Thursday | 21. September 2023 |
17:00 |
Registration open “get-together” Schloß (Brezeln & Snacks) |
Friday | 22. September 2023 |
8:00 | Registration desk open; poster mounting |
Opening Session (Chair: Ismail Cakmak, Sabanci) | |
8:47-9:10 | Welcome addresses: Prof. Ralf Vögele, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences; Patrick Bienert, Ismail Cakmak & Monika Wimmer |
9:10-9:45 |
Opening Plenary Talk: Heiner Goldbach (University of Bonn, Germany) „100 years of boron research from a personal view“ |
9:45-10:20 |
Plenary Talk: Mike McLaughlin (University of Adelaide, Australia) “Designing novel boron fertilisers to match plant nutrient demand“ |
10:20-11:00 | Coffee Break & Poster Viewing |
Session 1: Boron Fertilization and Management (Chair: Ellis Hoffland, Wageningen) | |
11:00-11:10 | Fabiano Silvestrin (Rio Tinto, US) Boron in soil and crop nutrition – boron fertilization and technical research results |
11:10-11:30 | Adriana Nario (Santiago, Chile) “Boron (10B) application to soil and flower in Cherry trees at the central valley of Chile” |
11:30-11:50 | Lei Shi (Huazong Agricultural University, China) “Effect of Etibor-48 and Colemanite on seed yield and seed quality of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and their residual effectiveness for rotated rice” |
11:50-12:10 | Tarja Lehto (Natural Resources Institute Finland, Finland) “Long-term effects of boron fertilization on growth, nutrition and wood quality of Norway spruce” |
12:10-12:30 | Mirjam Breure (Wageningen University, Netherlands) “Understanding boron speciation and availability to maize in tropical soils” |
12:30-12:50 | Ismail Cakmak (Sabanci University, Türkiye) “Changes in shoot and root growth of various plant species after root or leaf applications of boron” |
13:00-14:20 | Light Lunch and stroll through the Botanical Garden, Poster Viewing |
Session 2: Boron uptake and efficiency (Chair: Toru Fujiwara, Tokyo) | |
14:20-14:55 |
Plenary Talk: Junpei Takano (Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan) |
15:00-15:20 | Akira Yoshinari (Nagoya University, Japan) “Discovery of a novel small molecule that inhibits boron transport activity of BOR1” |
15:20-15:40 | Alex Valentine (Yara, UK) “Genomic Responses to Foliar Boron Application in Soybean Plants” |
15:40-16:40 | Coffee Break & Poster Session 1 |
16:40-17:00 | Zhaojun Liu (Technical University Munich, Germany) “Boron Deficiency Induced 1 (BDI1) genes showed conserved functions under boron deficiency and may serve as new markers for boron deficiency in higher plants” |
17:00-17:20 | Sheliang Wang (Huazhong Agricultural University, China) “Increasing boron use efficiency in plants with loss-of-function in LBT gene” |
17:20-17:40 | Rodrigo Boaretto (Instituto Agronomica, Brazil) “Uptake and distribution of labelled boron applied to Citrus rootstocks with split-root system” |
17:40-18:00 | Patrick Bienert (Technical University Munich, Germany) “Boron efficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus” |
19:00-22:00 | Dinner (optional): Zehntscheuer Plieningen |
Saturday | 23. September 2023 |
Session 3: Boron Functions and Deficiency (Chair: Patrick Brown, Davis) | |
09:00-09:35 |
Plenary Talk: Michaela Matthes (University of Bonn, Germany) “Cell wall and beyond: Early boron deficiency responses in maize meristems“ |
09:40-10:00 | Thomas Alcock (Technical University Munich, Germany) “The inflorescence transcriptome response of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) to boron deficiency resembles a wounding- and infection-type response” |
10:40-10:20 | Xi Chen (University of Western Australia) “Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of pea shoot development and cell-type-specific responses to boron deficiency” |
10:20-10:40 | Liuyang Chu (University of Bonn, Germany) “Boron deficiency leads to lateral root defects in maize” |
10:40-11:40 | Coffee Break & Poster Session 2 |
Session 3 cont.: Boron Functions and Deficiency (Chair: Tarja Lehto, Helsinki) | |
11:40-12:00 | Masaru Kobayashi (Kyoto University) “Early responses to boron deprivation in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings” |
12:00-12:20 | Yu Min (Foshan University, China) “Role of Boron for Plant Polar Growth Governed by Auxin Biosynthesis and Transport” |
12:20-12:40 | Lin Tao (Foshan University, China) “Boron Supply Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity-Inhibited Polar Auxin Transport and Pectin Dynamics in Root Transition Zone” |
12:40-13:00 | Sergey Shabala (University of Western Australia) “Boron and salinity stress tolerance in plants: revealing the mechanistic basis” |
13:00-14:20 | Light lunch & time to mingle in the park of the castle, Poster Viewing |
Session 4: Boron Physiology and Toxicity (Chair: Sergey Shabala, Perth) | |
14:20-14:55 |
Plenary Talk: Stephen Fry (University of Edinburgh, UK) “Boron-acting ‘enzymes’ produce pectic dimers and tetramers“ |
15:00-15:20 | Muhammad Riaz (Zhongkai University, China) “Enhancing boron tolerance by nano-calcium L-aspartate (NPs-Ca) in rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings” |
15:20-15:40 | Jesus Rexach (Sevilla, Spain) “Physiological characterization of two Peruvian maize landraces differing in tolerance to boron toxicity” |
15:40-16:00 | Naoyuki Sotta (University of Tokyo, Japan) “The effect of boron on plant defense against insect herbivores” |
16:00-16:25 | Coffee break & Poster Viewing |
Closing Session (Chair: Min Yu, Foshan) | |
16:25-17:00 |
Plenary Talk: Toru Fujiwara (University of Tokyo, Japan) “Sensing of and reaction to boron in plants” |
17:00-17:35 |
Closing Plenary Talk: Patrick Brown (University of California, Davis, US) “The quintessential plant nutrient” |
17:35-17:45 | Poster Awards |
17:45-18:00 | Closing remarks and Acknowledgements, End of Meeting |
18:30-21:00 | Get-together & Dinner (optional) |
Information
Deadlines:
Early bird registration until: 14.August.2023
Abstract submission deadline: 14.August.2023
Notification of acceptance (poster / oral talk): 18.August.2023
End of registration: 31.August.2023
End of hotel “reservations” by organizers: 15.July.2023
Registration
Please register using the registration form below. Kindly note that registration will be available starting from 15 April 2023.
Early bird (until 14.August.2023)
Student: 200 €
Non-students: 250 €
Dinner on 22nd September: 50 € (optional)
Regular Registration (from 14.August.2023)
Student: 300 €
Non-students: 350 €
Dinner on 22nd September: 50 € (optional)
Registration includes
– HappyBoron bag
– Electronic abstract book or hardcopy
– Welcome reception (21.September.2023)
– Beverages and snacks during coffee breaks (22.+23.September.23)
– Light Lunch (22.+23.September.23)
Travel Scholarships
A limited number of travel scholarships for participation in the “Happy Boron” conference can be offered to young scientists (PhD students and Postdoctoral researchers).
The conference fee and/or travel costs (and in exceptional cases accomodation costs) can be covered.
Applications must be sent to the conference organization committee by e-mail (boron2023@uni-hohenheim.de) and must include:
– a resume (CV)
– an abstract for a potential oral or poster presentation
– a cover letter justifying why the participation in the conference will be beneficial for the applicant’s scientific career and research project
The deadline for the application will be 14.August.2023. A decision will be transmitted around on 18.August.2023.
For equal opportunity reasons, we explicitly encourage applications from women. Applications from low-income countries are welcome.
We are looking forward to receiving your applications!
Cancellations & Refund Policy
Cancellations must be notified to us by e-mail ( boron2023@uni-hohenheim.de).
Cancellations made before 14.August.2023 will be refunded in full.
Cancellations made after 14.August.2023, will receive a 75% refund, which will be processed after the Conference and paid by bank transfer. Please note that refunds can only be made after the meeting has ended and bank service charges will be deducted from the refund amount.
No refunds can be made for cancellations after 15.August.2023.
Please notify your hotel directly to cancel accommodation bookings.
Participants also attending the annual meeting of the German Society of Plant Nutrition (DGP) from 25th to 27th September:
The DGP meeting in English Language will take place in Hohenheim from 25-27, September 2023. Scientists who wish to participate in both conferences should register for each meeting individually, using the respective link on the website.
For those participants, a range of touristic attractions in and around Stuttgart as well as small guided tours (organized by the Tourist Office Stuttgart) will be available on 24th September. In addition, a visit of the Hohenheim vineyard with a small tasting of the Hohenheim wines is envisaged for the late afternoon of 24 September 2023, followed by a get together with the early arrivals of the annual DGP conference in the evening of 24 September (details to be announced).
Abstract Submission and Presentations (Poster / Oral talk)
Abstract submission
Abstracts (not exceeding 300 words and 1 page) can only be submitted after registration for the meeting via the website. After receiving the registration confirmation, please send your abstract by e-mail to boron2023@uni-hohenheim.de. Please indicate if you would prefer to present a poster or to give an oral presentation.
Abstracts need to be submitted before 14.August.2023. After this date, it will not be possible to submit or change any abstract. During the registration process you can choose to apply for an oral presentation or a poster presentation. Participants will be notified by 18.August 2023, whether their abstract has been selected for poster or oral presentation.
Abstracts are automatically withdrawn if the submitter fails to register and pay the registration fee for the conference by the indicated deadline.
Abstract format
All abstracts should be formatted according to the template which can be downloaded here. Your abstract must be prepared in English, which is the official conference language.
Oral Presentations
Please pass your presentation file to our staffs at least 3 hours before your session in a Power Point format. The slide size 4:3 is recommended.
For 20 min short talk speakers, the presentation time is 15 mins talk + 5 mins discussion.
Poster Presentations
We recommend that posters are 84.1 cm wide x 118.9 cm high (i.e., A0 size).
Posters can be mounted starting on 21 September, 5pm. Posters will be available for viewing throughout the entire conference. Presenters should be available at their posters during the assigned poster hours (to be announced). Depending on the final number of posters, a 1 min oral presentation of posters might be organized in session 1.
Best posters will be awarded a poster prize (to be announced).
Accommodation
A certain amount of rooms has been blocked in several hotels nearby the meeting location. Booking should be done individually by contacting the hotel and indicating “Boron2023” when making reservations. Costs are paid individually.
Rooms are blocked and rates are guaranteed until 15 July 2023 – thereafter accommodation has to be done individually and room rates may be increasing.
The hotels are within walking distance to the University (Garbe, Tagungszentrum Hohenheim, Tagungsstätte Birkach) or directly connected by a short bus ride (Traube, Apart, Hotel Filder). Additional accommodations can be found in the downtown area of Stuttgart (approximately 30 min by public transportation), and in the city districts “Möhringen” (approximately 10-15 min) or Vaihingen (approximately 15-20 min).
Hotel |
Price € per night |
comments |
Romantisches Hotel Traube Brabandtgasse 2 70599 Stuttgart-Plieningenclick here to Hotel webpage |
104.- |
single room double room breakfast included |
Akademie der Diözese Rottenburg-Stuttgart Tagungszentrum Hohenheim Paracelsusstraße 91 70599 Stuttgartclick here to Hotel webpage |
104.- |
single room breakfast included |
Evangelische Tagungsstätte Birkach Grüninger Str. 25 70599 Stuttgartclick here to Hotel webpage |
77,50
|
single room breakfast included no TV in room |
Wirtshaus Garbe Filderhauptstr. 136 70599 Stuttgart-Plieningenclick here to Hotel webpage |
104.- |
single room double room breakfast included |
Apart Business Hotel Scharnhauser Str. 4 70599 Stuttgart-Plieningenclick here Hotel webpage |
65.- |
single room without breakfast single room with breakfast |
Airport Hotel Filder Post Schoellstraße 4-670599 Stuttgart Plieningenclick here to Hotel webpage |
|
rooms available, but no rooms blocked (approx. 65.- to 75.- €) |
Christkönigshaus Paracelsusstraße 89 70599 Stuttgart-Plieningenclick here to Hotel webpage |
rooms available, but no rooms blocked (approx. 75.- to 105.- €) |
Directions and contact
The University of Hohenheim is in the south of Stuttgart – only a few minutes away from the airport, the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, and the Autobahn. The University is around 10 km away from the city center and can be reached within 30 minutes using public transportation.
Detailed information on arrival by train, car or plane can be found on the University website
You have two options to get from the airport (Busterminal) to the University of Hohenheim:
Option 1: take bus #65 (direction of Obertürkheim Bahnhof; Busterminal platform 4) to “Universität Hohenheim” (single ticket 3,70 €)
Option 2: take bus #122 (direction of Esslingen ZOB; Busterminal platform 2) to “Plieningen Post” and change to bus #76 (direction of Degerloch ZOB) or bus #70 (direction of Ruhbank) to “Universität Hohenheim” (single ticket 3,70 €)