Program

* 1st Presentation (15:00 - 16:00) *

Physiological responses in horticultural crops to screen for abiotic stress tolerance

Speaker :
Prof. Dr. Ir. Marie-Christine Van Labeke
(Department of Plant production, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University (Belgium))

Plants perceive and respond to abiotic stress in a way that is both affected by the environment and their genetic background. Several abiotic stresses affect plants through disruption of the plant water status, whether it is through decreased availability of water in the environment during drought or through cellular dehydration caused by formation of extracellular ice during cold stress. Against a theoretical background physiological responses and traits for screening stress-tolerant genotypes in selected crops will be discussed.

* 2nd Presentation (16:00 - 17:00) *

Growth and physiological response of sago palm against salt stress or aluminum stress

Speaker :
Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Ehara
(International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Education(ICCAE) , Nagoya University)

Sago palm grows in swampy, alluvial, and peaty soils where almost no other major crops can grow without drainage or soil improvement and stores larger quantities of carbohydrate in its trunk. The carbohydrate can be processed into various basic raw materials for human and animal consumption as well as for use as an industrial energy source. Sago palm properties such as salinity tolerance or aluminum tolerance are important to expand cultivation in areas of poor productivity or barren lands with sterile soil. There is thus a need for a clear understanding of growth and physiological response of sago palm against abiotic stress. Avoidance mechanism of salt stress or aluminum stress in sago palm will be discussed.