From July 22 to 25, 2025, Portugal hosted the XX International Plant Nutrition Colloquium (IPNC) under the theme “Cultivating Resilience: Plant Nutrition for Food, Feed, and Health.” The event welcomed over 400 participants from 41 different countries, including researchers, professionals from the agricultural sector, companies, and students, who gathered to discuss the challenges and advancements in plant nutrition and its essential role in food security, sustainability, and global health.
This edition was organised by Marta Vasconcelos, researcher at The Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF), who served until this year as president of the International Plant Nutrition Council (IPNC), with the support of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Under her leadership, the event stood out for its scientific excellence and strong international engagement.
Throughout the four-day event, several plenary sessions featured presentations by renowned scientists in the field, along with 12 parallel sessions covering various topics. The most recent research and innovations in plant nutrition were showcased, contributing to a rich and diverse programme. The event also included the presentation of 298 posters, fostering a broad exchange of ideas and experiences among participants.
The Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) and the Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (ESB) were prominently featured at IPNC 2025, with awards recognising the talent and promising future of their researchers and students:
- Carla Santos, CBQF researcher, and Rafaela Geraldo, a PhD student in Biotechnology, were honoured with the prestigious Marschner Young Scientist Award. Created in honour of Professor Horst Marschner, this award recognises doctoral students and early-career researchers with exceptional potential to become leaders in the field of plant nutrition research.
- Rafael Duarte, also a PhD student in Biotechnology, received 2nd place in the Best Poster Awards, along with a €300 prize, for his innovative work presented during the congress.
The event stood out as a privileged space for knowledge sharing and the development of new partnerships and collaborations. It reinforced the global commitment to cultivating more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems that promote both planetary and human health.
The organisers would like to thank all participants, speakers, and sponsors for making IPNC 2025 a success and invite the scientific and agricultural communities to continue working together to tackle the challenges of plant nutrition in the 21st century.
The next IPNC will take place in 2028 in Melbourne, Australia.
