Upcoming conferences

2-Day International Workshop: Building climate-resilient soils with cover crops

How can agriculture adapt to more intense rainfall, longer dry periods and increasing production risks? One promising solution is healthier and more resilient soils.

Join us for a 2-day international workshop at Apelsvoll, Norway, 21–22 May 2026, focusing on the role of cover crops in climate adaptation for vegetable production.

The workshop “Cover crops as a climate adaptation tool” will explore how cover crops can improve:

• Soil structure
• Nutrient balance
• Soil health
• Climate resilience in vegetable systems

Researchers, advisors and practitioners are warmly invited to join the discussions and exchange knowledge.

Detailed information and programme will be published soon!

Interested in presenting your results?
Contact: till.seehusen@nibio.no or mette.thomsen@nibio.no

The Nordic Herbage Seed Production Seminar brings together leading researchers, advisors, and industry professionals to address current challenges and future opportunities in herbage seed production across the Nordic region.

The seminar offers a focused platform for sharing new research, exchanging practical knowledge, and strengthening Nordic collaboration between science and industry.

Call for abstracts

Abstract submission is now open.
Researchers and practitioners are invited to contribute with their latest findings and experiences.

The deadline for submissions is 1 May 2026.

All accepted abstracts will be presented as posters, with selected contributions invited for oral presentations.

Programme

The seminar programme covers key aspects of herbage seed production, including breeding for higher seed yields, seed quality, and nitrogen regulation in a Nordic context.

Sessions also address practical crop management topics such as weed control, fertilisation strategies, and pest and disease impacts on seed production.

The programme combines scientific presentations with field visits and demonstrations, highlighting new technologies and practical solutions in grass and clover seed production.

Registration

Registration is now open.

Participants are encouraged to register before 30 April 2026.

Register here:
https://conferences.au.dk/hspn/registration

More information about the programme, abstract submission, and the seminar:
https://conferences.au.dk/hspn

NJF conference: Resolving Issues in Peatlands and Peat Use in Agriculture and Horticulture

11-12 June 2026, Seinäjoki, Finland

Peatlands and peat are important for Nordic-Baltic agriculture. Organic soils are common in cool, boreal climates, and cultivated commonly in countries such as Latvia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Nordic and Baltic countries produce and use peat as growing media in greenhouses, for heating energy generation and as bedding material in livestock farming. Peatlands, however, contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions of agriculture and energy systems and therefore the society is transitioning away from using peat and peatlands. To enable just transition, research to find economically viable low-emission land use, growing media and bedding material alternatives have been initiated.

NJF is organizing a conference that aims to share the latest information on issues and solutions related to peatlands and peat in agriculture and horticulture. The conference is targeted to researchers and experts of relevant companies and organizations. It will offer a possibility to meet and discuss about the challenges and solutions of phasing out peat in the Nordic-Baltic context.

The program will include two invited keynote talks and presentations that will be selected from abstracts submitted to the conference, and visit to a field pilot site near Seinäjoki.

Call for abstracts

The program will be composed of presentations made by the participants. We invite you to propose a presentation to the conference by submitting an abstract around one of the following topics

• Alternatives to peat as bedding materials in animal production and growing media in greenhouses and horticulture
• Rewetting peatlands, paludiculture
• New insights on climate impacts of organic soils and their mitigation
• Economic and policy issues
• Just transition: How it can be implemented, what do farmers and other stakeholders think about it and what are the implications to agriculture?
• Other topics related to the theme of the conference

Image by A L.G from Pixabay

How to submit an abstract?

Please submit your abstract as soon as possible and at the latest by the 22^nd of May 2026 by using this form.

Abstracts can be proposed for oral presentations (15 minutes presentation plus 5 minutes for discussion) or for flash presentations (3 minutes (1-3 slides) presentation plus 2 minutes for questions).

The extended abstract can be up to 2000 characters and it should explain in brief: Motivation of the study, objectives, material and methods, results and conclusion. Abstracts must be prepared in English.

Abstracts selection

Authors will be informed about the acceptance of their abstract within a week from their submission, and at the latest by May 25^th.

Registration and fees

Participation fee of the conference is 100 euros per person. The fee includes lunches, coffee breaks, dinner, site visit and NJF’s membership for year 2026. Registered participants will be added to NJF’s member registry for year 2026.

Venue and schedule

The conference will be organized on June 11th (from 9 to 17) and June 12th (from 9 to 13). In addition, there will be a dinner in the evening of June 11th.

The workshop will be organized in Frami in Seinäjoki, Finland (Kampusranta 9, 60320 Seinäjoki, Finland). Frami is an active hub of universities, research institute, companies and other organizations operating in Seinäjoki and in South Ostrobothnia, the food province of Finland. Frami is located approximately 1 km from the Seinäjoki railway station.

Travelling to Seinäjoki

Seinäjoki is located approximately 350 kilometers North-West from Helsinki. Seinäjoki can be reached from Helsinki easily by train. During the daytime there is a train connection between Helsinki and Seinäjoki approximately once per hour. See https://www.vr.fi/en for timetables and tickets.

When travelling from abroad by plane, Helsinki-Vantaa airport (HEL) is the main airport of Finland. There is a train connection between Helsinki airport and Seinäjoki, with about 3 hours journey time.

As an alternative, the closest local airport is in Vaasa (VAA), which is located approximately 80 km from Seinäjoki. Vaasa airport has direct flights to Helsinki and Stockholm. There is a bus running between Vaasa airport and railway station, which is about 10 km from the airport. The train journey from Vaasa to Seinäjoki takes about 1 hour. There is also a ferry connection between Vaasa and Umeå, Sweden. https://www.wasaline.com/en/route-trips/

Accommodation

The following hotels are within 5-20 minutes walk (less than 1,5 km) from the venue:

• Hotel Alma, single room prices starting from about €141 per night https://www.hotelalma.fi/en/
• Scandic Seinäjoki, single room prices starting from €141 per night, https://www.scandichotels.com/en/hotels/scandic-seinajoki
• Sokos hotel Lakeus, single room prices starting from €160 per night, https://www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/seinajoki/original-sokos-hotel-lakeus
• Sokos hotel Vaakuna, single room prices starting from 152 €/night,  https://www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/seinajoki/original-sokos-hotel-vaakuna

Further information

Jarkko Niemi, President of NJF, jarkko.niemi@luke.fi

The world is changing faster than ever. That’s why the need for change in food systems is urgent. One of the key aspects is organic agriculture. 

At this conference we are exploring innovative approaches for a more resilient food system. We are doing this together with researchers, stakeholders and policymakers across the Nordic-Baltic region.

This is a great chance especially for early career researchers and young professionals to build networks within the field. You’ll hear about latest research findings on ecological, social and economic aspects of resilient food system and get to contribute on the discussion.

Abstract submission for Uppsala conference is now open. We warmly look forward to receiving your abstracts. For instructions to submitting please visit here Instructions to submit abstracts.

Want to be part of the discussion that shapes tomorrow’s food system? Join us on 15-17 June 2026 in Uppsala, Sweden!

International Conference ”Scientific Actualities and Innovations in Horticulture” – SAIH2026 in Kaunas

The conference brings together experts in horticultural sciences to share research, innovations, and build international collaboration. This year’s keynote lineup brings together leading experts from across Europe, each offering unique perspectives on the future of horticultural science.

You’ll hear from researchers working at top institutions such as University of Copenhagen, Latvia, Catania and Helsinki. On top of that, SAIH is proud to feature a young-minded keynote speaker highlighting the next generation of scientists with fresh ideas.

Key topics include:
-Plant breeding, genetics, and physiology
-Cultivation technologies
-Plant protection and product quality
-Sustainable cultivation and biodiversity

Abstract deadline: June 21, 2026!
For more information, please visit: https://saih.lt/

Conference is organised by Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Nordic Association of Agricultural Science, and Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

We look forward to welcoming you to Kaunas in 2026!

How can we secure food supply in Nordic-Baltic region for the future?

The 28th NJF congress program covers key topics such as climate change, food economic and policy, technology, innovation and much more. This is a great opportunity to exchange ideas, share results, and strengthen collaboration within the agricultural sector.

Abstract submission deadline is 31 May 2026, and registration for the congress is also open.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tartu, 14-16 October!

Read more and submit your abstract:
https://www.emu.ee/en/njf2026