From July 28 to August 1, 2025, the 2025 National Academic Annual Conference of the Chinese Society for Plant Biology, hosted by the Chinese Society for Plant Biology and organized by Northeast Forestry University (NEFU), was held in Harbin. This conference, which has been successfully held seven times, has become a flagship academic event in the field of plant biology.

The theme of the conference was “Plant Science Supporting Agricultural and Forestry Revitalization.” Academician Chen Xiaoya, Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Society for Plant Biology and Researcher at the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Liu Aili, First Inspector of the Department of Science and Technology of Heilongjiang Province, and President Song Wenlong of NEFU attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Academician Cao Xiaofeng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society for Plant Biology and Researcher at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (CAS), Academician Liu Yaoguang from South China Agricultural University, and nearly a thousand scholars from across the country also attended the event.

Academician Chen Xiaoya emphasized that plant science provides comprehensive solutions for the high-quality development of agricultural and forestry industries, helping to achieve the goals of farming and forestry revitalization. He highlighted that Harbin’s unique agricultural and forestry resources offer a broad stage for plant science research and expressed hope that this conference would promote the transformation and application of plant science achievements in the northeast region.

NEFU’s President Song Wenlong extended a warm welcome to the experts and scholars attending the conference. He noted that the timing of the conference, during the national push for educational and technological advancement, made it even more significant. He briefly introduced NEFU’s educational characteristics and development achievements, expressing the hope that the attending experts would provide valuable guidance for the development of plant science-related disciplines at NEFU, thereby helping the university leverage its unique advantages in the field of plant science.

Liu Aili from the Department of Science and Technology of Heilongjiang Province extended congratulations on the successful opening of the conference. She noted that plant science is a key support for the life sciences, as well as a core force driving the revitalization of agricultural and forestry industries, and ensuring national food security and ecological safety. She stated that Heilongjiang Province would actively build “industry-academia-research-application” collaboration platforms to create favorable conditions for experts and scholars to conduct research in the region.

During the opening ceremony, the Chinese Society for Plant Biology presented various annual awards. After the opening ceremony, the first report session was held, hosted by Teng Chunbo, Dean of NEFU’s College of Life Science. Academician Chen Xiaoya delivered keynote reports from the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Researcher Zhou Jianmin from the Yazhouwan National Laboratory, and Researcher Chen Lingling from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science (CAS).

On the morning of August 1, the second report session was held, hosted by Professor Huang Jinyin from Jiangxi Agricultural University. Researcher Wang Ertao delivered keynote reports from the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Professor Yang Shuhua from China Agricultural University, Professor Liu Hongtao from Shenzhen University, and Professor Sheng Jun from Yunnan Agricultural University.

The conference included nine thematic sub-sessions and four special forums, with over 130 experts delivering thematic reports.