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1) Fascination of Plants Day 2026 is launched – join us by organising engaging plant science events!
The fascinating world of plants is once again in the spotlight thanks to the celebration of the eighth Fascination of Plants Day (FoPD) on and around May 18th, 2026, with events happening from March to the end of November 2026.
FoPD aims to plant virtual, constantly germinating seeds in the collective mind, highlighting the vital role of plant science in addressing today’s and future social, environmental, and economic challenges. Across institutions, schools, farms, and companies, a wide range of interactive, plant-based activities will engage everyone – from toddlers to grandparents.
In Sweden, there are two national coordinators from SLU – Jens Sundström (jens.sundstrom@slu.se) and Anna Maňourová (anna.manourova@slu.se). Please reach out to them if you would like to link your activities to FoPD 2026!
Discover events in Sweden
2) Call for companies and young researchers – join career-oriented event at SLU Alnarp! – 5 May
Welcome to a joint career and collaboration-oriented event between the SLU LTV faculty and the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre in Alnarp.
Companies, come meet with PhD students and postdocs who are seeking contacts outside of academia. Many of the participating PhD students are in their 1st–3rd year, giving companies a unique opportunity to identify and engage top talent early, and help shape their skills to match future needs. At the same time, the event provides direct access to PhD graduates and postdocs for immediate recruitment or project collaboration.
Join us to spot talent early, boost your visibility, and help shape the future of your field!
Learn more – If you have any questions an/or would like to register, please get in touch with Anna (anna.manourova@slu.se)
3) EPSO position paper: Contributions from plant research and innovation to Building Food 2040
In this position paper EPSO expands feedback to the survey, highlighting that Building Food 2040, securing the long-term competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the EU’s farming and food sector requires a holistic approach with Plant Science at its heart, which is key to food and nutritional security, resilience, strategic autonomy, health and wellbeing, as well as competitiveness.
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4) Agroecology Day 2026 – 13 May, Alnarp
This year’s title “From niche to norm: Agroforestry and perennials for resilient food futures”, aims to bridge research and practical application of agroecology, with a focus on agroforestry and perennial agriculture.
You can join the event in Alnarp, or online – more information and registration
The day also serves as a formal launch of the Nordic Agroecology Education Network.
5) Join global collaborative intervention around plant awareness – 18 May
Green (un)seen is a global intervention exploring plant blindness, our tendency to overlook the plants around us. Green (un)seen will take place on 18 May as a playful science-art intervention in cities around the world celebrating the Fascination of Plants Day.
Green (un)seen invites participants to prepare 5–10 small letters, each transformed into a simple creative piece through drawn, painted, sketched, or collaged plant motifs. These letters are then shared with people from everyday places, passers-by or left public spaces.
The action begins on 18 May, but the letters may continue to circulate beyond that date, allowing participation to unfold over time and across places.
Read more and sign up to get involved
6) International Citizen Day Lund 2026 – 29 May
You are warmly invited to join this event tailored for the international community living in the Greater Copenhagen Region. The day will be filled with inspiring talks and practical insights into both career opportunities and everyday life.
You will get the chance to explore Lund’s innovation district, including its ecosystem of companies, research facilities, incubators, and the city’s strongest industry sectors. You will also get practical tips on how to navigate and develop your career in both Sweden and Denmark as well as learning about Swedish and Danish workplace culture.
More information and registration
7) Save the date: The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production: Conference 2026 – 25 November
How can we increase agricultural sustainability while strengthening food production and economic growth? Welcome to a conference where research meets practice for the future of food – with the farmer in focus. The conference brings together primary producers, researchers, advisors, start-ups, and industry stakeholders from Skåne and the Greater Copenhagen Region to jointly shape the future of sustainable primary production.
The event is organised by the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production in collaboration with Plantlink.
More information will be available soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anna (anna.manourova@slu.se), who is involved in organising the conference.
8) Time for Borgeby fältdagar – “Robust lantbruk” – 24-25 June
The annual Borgeby Fältdagar are approaching, inviting farmers, researchers, and industry professionals to two days of field demonstrations, innovation, and networking. This year’s theme is “Robust lantbruk”. Visitors can explore the latest developments in agriculture, attend seminars, and connect with experts in a dynamic outdoor setting.
The event takes place in Borgeby in Skåne on June 24-25.
More information
9) Save the date: Seed of Resilience 2026 – NordGen conference, 21-23 October, Malmö
The conference will bring together leading researchers, decision-makers, and young scientists to safeguard the seeds and crop diversity that are essential for future food security.
The conference will be organised in collaboration between NordGen, the Nordic PPP for pre-breeding, EUCARPIA and SLU.
More information – details are coming up soon!
10) Seminars on Brassica breeding, integrated omics and pest management by scientists from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences – 6 May, UCPH
Join a mini symposium on Brassica breeding, integrated omics, and pest management, organized in connection with the visit of a distinguished delegation from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, led by Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Youjun Zhang.
When and where: 10:00 – 11:30, 6th May; Aud – A2-70.04, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen
More information
11) Knowledge mingle about biodiversity and pollinators – 23 May, Österlen
Pollination Week offers knowledge mingling about biodiversity and pollinators at Forse Cidergård outside Rörum, Österlen. What will you experience?
How to connect apple cultivation and biodiversity, lecture about bees and other pollinators, how to build your own bee hotel with clay that is suitable for bumblebees, Guided tour of the grounds at the newly opened Forse Cidergård and cider tasting.
More information and registration
12) Join 4th International Barley Mutant Workshop – 20-22 July 2026
The 4th International Barley Mutant Workshop will bring together researchers at all career stages who use barley mutant resources to explore fundamental aspects of cereal biology. The workshop will provide a platform to share scientific discoveries, showcase innovative approaches, and foster collaborations that advance barley as both an important crop and a model plant.
The workshop is organised by Lund University and SLU in collaboration with NordGen and Lantmännen.
The registration and abstract submission will close on June 15
More information and registration
13) CPSC conference 2026 – 12-14 August, Copenhagen
Some of society’s most pressing questions revolve around how we can maintain food production and plant growth in the context of climate change. To address this, the Copenhagen Plant Science Center (CPSC) hosts a conference on Translational agriculture: from model plants to crops that targets crop resilience and yield stability by bridging fundamental and translational plant research with the agrifood industry.
Registration deadline: June 30
Read more
14) Conference: Organics as a response to the urgent need for resilient food systems – 15-17 June, Uppsala
The conference aims to share and discuss recent research outcomes within organic food and farming and its societal interactions, related to the urgent topic of creating a more resilient food system. Researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers are welcome to take an active part in the discussions – What challenges are ahead? How can organic practices from farm to fork further strengthen their own robustness, as well as having impact in a larger context? All dimensions of resilience within the food landscape – ecological, social, and economic – will be addressed.
Speakers: Mette Vaarst, Aarhus University; Rogier Schulte, Wageningen University; Johan Ekroos, University of Helsinki
More information and registration
15) 20th IOBC – WPRS Working Group meeting on Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops – 29 Sept-1 Oct, SLU Alnarp
The working group will present the latest advances in biological and integrated pest management, sustainable production systems, and genetic and biotechnical approaches for oilseed crops. New research methods and strategies aimed at reducing pesticide use while maintaining high yields will be highlighted.
Six confirmed speakers include: Samantha Cook from Rothamsted Research, Marian Damsgaard Thorsted from SEGES Innovation, Antoine Gardarin from INRAE, Albin Gunnarson from Swedish Seed and Oilseed Growers Association, Małgorzata Jędryczka from Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Science, and Sari Peltonen from ProAgria.
Registration and abstract submission close on 1 May!
More information and registration
16) Save the date: SciLifeLab Conference – Integrating Scales in Planetary Biology – 28-30 October, Uppsala
Join a 3-day interdisciplinary conference exploring the future of biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable food systems, bringing together scientists, policymakers, and funders. From inspiring keynotes to interactive round tables, poster sessions, and a dynamic pitch slam for real-world impact, the program connects cutting-edge research with policy and societal action.
More information
17) Save the date: 7th International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods – 26-30 October, Nairobi, Kenya
The 7th International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods (ISBCA) will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, October 26-30, 2026. CAB International (CABI) and the Kenya Agricultural
and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) will co-host the event.
This conference continues the series of international symposia on biological control of arthropods held almost every four years. The goal is to create a forum where biological control researchers and practitioners can meet to exchange information and discuss up-to-date issues relating to biological control. This includes the various approaches to biological control, e.g. conservation, augmentation, and importation of natural enemy species for the control of arthropod targets.
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18. Courses
ELLS summer school: Plant health under pressure: environmental shifts and legal responses, 10-14 August, SLU Alnarp
The objective of this course is to give early-stage PhD students and MSc students from different subject areas (e.g. ecology, entomology, nematology, plant breeding, molecular biology etc.) a deeper understanding of challenges and constraints in relation to modern plant protection in different systems and set them in relation to aspects of policy governing their field of study.
The course will explore how changes in pathogens and environmental conditions—such as resistance development and climate change—together with evolving regulations on pesticide use and transgenic plants, will shape the future of plant health and plant protection, and how these factors influence research in the field.
If you are interested in the course, please contact the summer school coordinators Svante Resjö (svante.resjö@slu.se), Anna Maňourová (anna.manourova@slu.se)
SLU students can apply for support, read the instructions, and contact mobility@slu.se
Application deadline: 1 May!
19. Open positions
SLU Alnarp
Researcher in genetics and genomics with focus on horticultural crops
More information
20. EPSO Young Plant Scientist Award 2026 – congratulations to Stijn Daems and Yuhang Meng
Stijn and Yuhang will have the opportunity to present their research during the Science Day of the EPSO General Assembly to be held in Dundee, UK on the 17.06.2026. In addition, each awardee will receive 200 € and EPSO will cover their travel to the meeting.
More information
21. PlantLink in the Spotlight – interview with Anna Maňourová
Our coordinator Anna was featured in an interview about PlantLink by SLU One Health; thank you for the opportunity! Curious how it went?
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