WESTMINSTER, Colorado – November 17, 2020 – Today the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and five affiliated scientific societies announced plans for upcoming annual meetings that will spotlight new innovations and best practices in weed control.
Each of the events will be conducted virtually. First up are the annual meetings of the Canadian, North Central and Northeastern weed science societies. Details are below, along with “save the date” information for additional events.
- Canadian Weed Science Society (CWSS), November 23-27, 2020
This year’s CWSS annual meeting will focus on the past, present and future of weeds and invasive plants. Plenary speakers include: Jacques Cayouette, Owen Olfert and Meghan Vankosky of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Claude Lavoie of Laval University; Toni DiTommaso of Cornell University; Ruojing Wang of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; Marie-Josée Côté of the Ottawa Plant Laboratory; and Clarence Swanton, professor emeritus at the University of Guelph and a former CWSS president.
Examples of the many topics on the agenda include:
- Use of meta barcoding to find weeds and invasive species in seed lots
- Forage, rangeland, forestry and industrial vegetation management
- A proactive approach to managing multiple herbicide resistant waterhemp
- Robotic weeding for vegetable crops
- Using electricity for weed control
There will be live-streamed content throughout the week, including question and answer sessions, awards presentations, a general business meeting and social events. All presentations will be prerecorded and available for at least a month after the meeting. Certified crop advisor (CCA) credits will be available for attendance in select sessions.
Conference registration is now available online. The $150 Canadian fee ($25 for students) includes a year’s membership in CWSS. Further details are available at www.weedscience.ca.
- North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS), November 30-December 2, 2020
The upcoming 75th annual meeting of NCWSS will kick off with a general session on the past, present and future of weed science. Two special symposia are planned during the event, including:
- How extension services are being adapted to limit direction interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Innovations in equipment and application methods, including nozzles, wind tunnels, spatial modelling, UAVs, See ‘n Spray and other technologies
More than 160 prerecorded oral and poster presentations will be offered on a wide range of topics – from resistant weeds and riparian buffer strips to advances in “Harperian” ecology.
Each oral presentation will be followed by a live question and answer period.
Other activities include a popular session on what’s new in industry, a weed science “Quiz Bowl,” awards presentations, a gathering of women in weed science, virtual tours of member facilities for graduate students, and chatrooms for networking.
For additional information and registration, visit http://ncwss.org/annual-meeting.
- Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS), January 4-7, 2021
NEWSS will host its annual meeting as part of the Sixth Annual Northeastern Plant, Pest and Soils Conference (NEPPSC) with the Northern Region of American Society of Horticultural Science and the Northeast Branch of the Tri-Societies. Theme for the meeting is “Opportunities for Mutual Learning: Pests and Pandemics.”
Breakouts will feature agronomic crops; fruit, vegetable and tree crops; turf and ornamentals; and vegetation management/restoration. Each will include prerecorded research presentations, with a corresponding live Q&A session, topical keynote and roundtable discussions. In lieu of student poster presentations, prerecorded “lightning talks” will feature two-minute research overviews, with a corresponding live Q&A.
Live content will include a general session featuring keynote speaker Laura Meyerson of the University of Rhode Island, oral competition presentations by students, a social networking event, and business meetings with awards presentations. Attendees will be able to catch up with colleagues at any time using the virtual meeting platform.
All content, whether prerecorded or live, will be available for on-demand viewing for one year after the meeting. For more information, visit www.newss.org/meeting.
- Other Meetings Scheduled for Early Next Year
Save the date for the annual meetings below that are scheduled during the first quarter of 2021. Further details will be publicized and posted online as they become available.
- Southern Weed Science Society, January 25-26, 2021
- Weed Science Society of America, February 15-19, 2021
- Western Society of Weed Science, March 1-4, 2021
About the Weed Science Society of America
The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit www.wssa.net.
Media Contact:
Lee Van Wychen, Executive Director of Science Policy
National & Regional Weed Science Societies
[email protected], 202-746-4686