The Tropical Agriculture Association International (TAAI) is organising a conference on the Development and Use of Biological Agents and Extracts in Tropical Agricultural Systems.
Please click here for further details and registration for in-person or online participation September 11-12, 2025.
Global Farmer Network member Aline Vick will be participating as a panelist. Aline is a second-generation Brazilian farmer committed to regenerative agriculture. Managing 1,200 hectares at Estancia Farm in Pirassununga, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the family grows soybean, corn, sugarcane, cassava and cover crops. Aline integrates regenerative practices and innovative technologies to enhance soil health and efficiency in farming. At the farm every year new things are tested such as new crop varieties, biological inputs, technologies and so on. Passionate about soil health, she is also an advocate for sharing regenerative practices with other farmers, dreaming with a future with a more sustainable agriculture.
This conference will take place from 11.00 on Thursday 11th September to 16.00 on Friday 12th September 2025 at Rothamsted Research, UK. The conference will address key issues in the research, development and use of biologicals in 1) soil and nutritive amendments and 2) plant protection. It will review and draw lessons from real-life experiences on:
- Best practice in prospecting, identifying and developing biological agents and extracts;
- Challenges and requirements for developing products through to market and use;
- Future opportunities and implications for the development of different sectors;
Speakers will span the global experience with biologicals and will include:
- Dr Dick Shaw, Senior Regional Director, CABI
- Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Senior Plant Pathologist, IITA
- Mr Augustus Thomas, Lecturer, University of West Indies, Trinidad
- Dr Henry Wainwright, Co-Founder of Real IPM, Kenya
- Dr Atthawit Watcharapongchai, GIZ, Thailand
- Emeritus Professor Ken Giller, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
- Dr Belinda Luke, Global Team Leader, PlantwisePlus, CABI
- Dr Keith Jones, Director of Stewardship, CropLife International
Their presentations will be used to stimulate discussions and share experiences to explore the breadth and potential of biologicals, and key issues in their deployment in the tropical agricultural systems of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Together, these will provide valuable insights into the practical realities of developing and using biologicals. The Conference will be of value to those working in agricultural development, research, industry, farmers/users, policy makers, regulators and students.
The Conference will be a hybrid event with both in-person and online (Teams) participation possible. Registration fees are very competitive, with discounts for TAAI members, participants aged under 40, or citizens of developing countries. For in-person participants, the registration fee will include all sessions of the two-day conference; lunches, teas and coffees; the Conference Dinner; and a tour of Rothamsted.
Papers and posters presented at the Conference will be published in a special follow-up edition of TAAI’s open-access journal: Agriculture for Development.
You can see further details about the Conference, and register, here.
