2025 Annual Conference of the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science Successfully Held in Shenyang, Exploring New Pathways for “Horticulture and a Better Life”

From October 10 to 13, 2025, the "2025 Annual Conference of the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science" was successfully held in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. The conference was hosted by the Chinese Society for Horticultural Science (CSHS) and jointly organized by Shenyang Agricultural University, the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, the Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Agricultural Equipment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of the Ministry of Education, with co-organization by the Liaoning Society for Horticultural Science. Centered on the core theme of "Horticulture and a Better Life," the conference focused on cutting-edge developments in horticulture and deliberated on strategies for high-quality industrial development.

Distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony included Academician Deng Xiuxin, President of CSHS and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Liu Yang, Party Secretary of Shenyang Agricultural University; Feng Wensheng, Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Liaoning Association for Science and Technology; Xu Aidong, Deputy Director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Science and Technology; Liu Yuqiang, Party Group Member and Deputy Director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Sun Zhanxiang, Vice President of the Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and Sun Xiaohui, Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the Shenyang Association for Science and Technology. The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhang Youjun, Vice President and Secretary-General of CSHS and Director of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS.

President Deng Xiuxin reviewed the annual work of the Society, analyzed the current state of horticultural scientific innovation and industrial development in China, and emphasized that the Society needs to accelerate progress in both research and high-quality industrial growth. He encouraged participating experts to engage in in-depth discussions around the theme "Horticulture and a Better Life," contributing horticultural expertise to agricultural science and technology innovation and to national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. Deputy Director Xu Aidong noted that holding the conference in Shenyang is a strong endorsement of the local horticultural industry's high-quality development and a driver of technological innovation nationwide. He expressed hope that horticultural researchers would focus on the national agricultural "15th Five-Year Plan," offer proposals and comprehensive cooperation for Liaoning, and facilitate the implementation of new technologies and varieties, thereby empowering horticultural development in both the region and the country. Party Secretary Liu Yang remarked that the conference would inject new momentum into horticultural innovation. Shenyang Agricultural University, with its deep research heritage in horticulture, will continue to advance relevant innovations and contribute to building a strong agricultural nation.

The academic exchange sessions were exceptionally vibrant, featuring intensive interactions between frontier achievements and innovative ideas. Distinguished experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of CAAS, Huazhong Agricultural University, and other institutions delivered keynote presentations, sharing the latest cutting-edge international research outcomes and practical experiences in horticultural genetics and breeding, protected cultivation, industrial economics, and technological cooperation.

The annual conference concurrently hosted eight parallel sub‑forums on fruit trees, vegetables, ornamental horticulture, cucurbit crops, tea, edible fungi, horticultural education, and academic exchanges for the editorial and youth editorial boards of the Acta Horticulturae Sinica (Chinese and English editions). Over a hundred scholars, experts, and enterprise representatives gave presentations, engaging in thorough discussions on technical challenges, market trends, and collaboration models within each subsector, offering participants a platform for precise networking and mutual learning.

As one of the most influential annual academic events in the horticultural field, this conference served both as a "panoramic showcase" of cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements and as a "high-efficiency connector" for deep industry‑academia‑research collaboration. Closely adhering to the core theme of "Horticulture and a Better Life," the conference systematically reviewed and shared the latest research developments and breakthrough technological results in horticulture, and thoroughly analyzed new pathways and models for innovative cooperation among research institutions, universities, and industrial enterprises. It provided forward‑looking and practical strategic support for cultivating and expanding the horticultural industry and better empowering a better life.

The successful convening of this conference not only effectively consolidated a common development consensus across the industry but also promoted the optimal integration of high‑quality innovation resources, laying a solid foundation for China's horticultural industry to move toward a new stage of high‑quality, high‑efficiency, and sustainable development. It will further help the horticultural sector release greater value and play a more crucial role in improving people's well‑being and accelerating agricultural modernization.

More than 1,500 participants attended the conference, representing research institutes, agricultural universities, and industry enterprises from over 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across the country.