Bhim Bahadur Ghaley (ORCID 0000-0002-0864-7613) has a background in molecular plant breeding and Agronomy. Ghaley has extensive experience working on precision farming technologies and control environment farming and participating in several Horizon Europe and ERA-NET projects, a national networking project (SMARTFOOD) and international bilateral project in India (COTTONBREED). As a research scientist in Denmark, he collaborates with international partners from Europe and beyond. He has worked with partners in Asia (Bhutan and India), North Africa (Tunisia and Egypt), Brazil, and USA. His research areas includes precision farming, control environment farming (hydroponics) and agroecological practices like intercropping/mixed cropping, agroforestry, agronomy/field crop production, nutrient uptake and utilization, 15N stable isotope use, cultivar screening for pest and disease, molecular plant breeding, crop and soil process modelling, soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, ecosystem service quantification and valuation, ecological stoichiometry and value chain analysis
Bhim Bahadur Ghaley (ORCID 0000-0002-0864-7613) has a background in molecular plant breeding and Agronomy. Ghaley has extensive experience working on precision farming technologies and control environment farming and participating in several Horizon Europe and ERA-NET projects, a national networking project (SMARTFOOD) and international bilateral project in India (COTTONBREED). As a research scientist in Denmark, he collaborates with international partners from Europe and beyond. He has worked with partners in Asia (Bhutan and India), North Africa (Tunisia and Egypt), Brazil, and USA. His research areas includes precision farming, control environment farming (hydroponics) and agroecological practices like intercropping/mixed cropping, agroforestry, agronomy/field crop production, nutrient uptake and utilization, 15N stable isotope use, cultivar screening for pest and disease, molecular plant breeding, crop and soil process modelling, soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, ecosystem service quantification and valuation, ecological stoichiometry and value chain analysis
Anta Sparinska (ORCID 0000-0001-7474-5230) is a plant physiologist (Dr. biol.) with experience in horticultural science, controlled environment agriculture, and plant biotechnology. She is affiliated with the Bulduri Biotechnology Centre and serves as a lecturer at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her work integrates fundamental plant physiology with applied research and innovation in climate-controlled cultivation systems. She has coordinated and participated in several national and international research and innovation projects focused on controlled environment agriculture, vertical farming, digital and precision horticulture, and sustainable propagation technologies. Recent project activities include the development of energy-efficient climate control solutions for vertical farming, the application of 3D photogrammetry and sensor-based monitoring to optimize plant growth conditions, and innovative propagation methods for high-value horticultural crops. She has also held senior leadership positions in horticultural research and science communication institutions, including botanical garden management and editorial leadership in professional horticultural publishing.
Anta Sparinska (ORCID 0000-0001-7474-5230) is a plant physiologist (Dr. biol.) with experience in horticultural science, controlled environment agriculture, and plant biotechnology. She is affiliated with the Bulduri Biotechnology Centre and serves as a lecturer at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Her work integrates fundamental plant physiology with applied research and innovation in climate-controlled cultivation systems. She has coordinated and participated in several national and international research and innovation projects focused on controlled environment agriculture, vertical farming, digital and precision horticulture, and sustainable propagation technologies. Recent project activities include the development of energy-efficient climate control solutions for vertical farming, the application of 3D photogrammetry and sensor-based monitoring to optimize plant growth conditions, and innovative propagation methods for high-value horticultural crops. She has also held senior leadership positions in horticultural research and science communication institutions, including botanical garden management and editorial leadership in professional horticultural publishing.
Cherubino Leonardi is a Full Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) at the University of Catania, Italy. He holds a PhD in Productivity of Cultivated Plants and has developed a long-standing academic career dedicated to Mediterranean greenhouse cultivation and protected horticulture. His research focuses on the sustainability of production systems, the improvement of produce quality, and the reduction of environmental impact through innovative cultivation techniques and advanced technological solutions. He has coordinated and participated in numerous national and international research projects, including large-scale European, national, and regional initiatives addressing vegetable grafting, postharvest quality, the nutraceutical value of horticultural products, and sustainable agri-food systems. Professor Leonardi has held leading roles within international scientific networks, notably within the International Society for Horticultural Science, where he served as Chairman of the Working Group on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates. He has extensive international experience through collaborations with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), participation in scientific committees, and invited lectures worldwide. His academic service includes significant institutional responsibilities, doctoral programme coordination, and leadership of research and experimental facilities.
Cherubino Leonardi is a Full Professor in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) at the University of Catania, Italy. He holds a PhD in Productivity of Cultivated Plants and has developed a long-standing academic career dedicated to Mediterranean greenhouse cultivation and protected horticulture. His research focuses on the sustainability of production systems, the improvement of produce quality, and the reduction of environmental impact through innovative cultivation techniques and advanced technological solutions. He has coordinated and participated in numerous national and international research projects, including large-scale European, national, and regional initiatives addressing vegetable grafting, postharvest quality, the nutraceutical value of horticultural products, and sustainable agri-food systems. Professor Leonardi has held leading roles within international scientific networks, notably within the International Society for Horticultural Science, where he served as Chairman of the Working Group on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates. He has extensive international experience through collaborations with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), participation in scientific committees, and invited lectures worldwide. His academic service includes significant institutional responsibilities, doctoral programme coordination, and leadership of research and experimental facilities.
Pirjo Mäkelä (ORCID 0000-0002-8757-6015) is a Professor of Crop Science in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her background is in crop physiology and agronomy. She has worked on drought and salt stress tolerance in tomato, maize, small-grain cereals, and oilseed crops; maize kernel development and root growth under water deficit; cassava growth and quality; caraway quality; and crop responses to organic and synthetic fertilizers. She has participated in national and international projects on the development of cropping systems in both organic and conventional farming in Finland and Kenya, as well as mixed cropping in field and controlled conditions. Her recent projects have focused on the use of osmolytes to improve the quality of leafy greens in hydroponic cultivation, sweet potato cropping systems, mixed cropping in hydroponic systems, and nitrogen and water dynamics in the soil–plant system under field conditions
Pirjo Mäkelä (ORCID 0000-0002-8757-6015) is a Professor of Crop Science in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her background is in crop physiology and agronomy. She has worked on drought and salt stress tolerance in tomato, maize, small-grain cereals, and oilseed crops; maize kernel development and root growth under water deficit; cassava growth and quality; caraway quality; and crop responses to organic and synthetic fertilizers. She has participated in national and international projects on the development of cropping systems in both organic and conventional farming in Finland and Kenya, as well as mixed cropping in field and controlled conditions. Her recent projects have focused on the use of osmolytes to improve the quality of leafy greens in hydroponic cultivation, sweet potato cropping systems, mixed cropping in hydroponic systems, and nitrogen and water dynamics in the soil–plant system under field conditions
Young Mind Keynote Speaker
Edvinas Misiukevičius (ORCID 0000-0003-4447-0680) is a plant scientist (dr.) specializing in horticultural genetics and breeding, with a particular focus on the model ornamental plant daylily (Hemerocallis L.). He is a researcher at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, and a senior lecturer at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, where he teaches floriculture. His research integrates plant breeding, polyploidy, in vitro propagation, molecular fingerprinting, and morphological, physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic approaches to investigate plant development and adaptation to abiotic stress, particularly drought. Dr Misiukevičius has authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications and actively presents his research at international conferences and research institutions across Europe. He is also an accomplished daylily breeder, with 119 cultivars registered in the American Hemerocallis Society’s international database. In addition to his research, he works in science communication, public outreach, and international collaboration. He is a member of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, the British Hosta and Hemerocallis Society, and the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). His work bridges fundamental plant science with applied horticulture, contributing to sustainable breeding and resilience-oriented crop improvement