2nd International Wheat Congress kicks off in Beijing

The 2nd International Wheat Congress kicked off on Monday night in Beijing, featuring the resilience and sustainability of future wheat.

The congress, which lasts until Thursday, will discuss about six major issues including the germplasm resources, structural genomics of wheat, new technologies, crop management under climate change, biotic and abiotic resistance, and human health.

Attended by 900 scientists and scholars online and offline from 67 countries, the congress aims to build a platform for sharing the latest information on the global maize wheat condition and the future wheat scientific research.

Wu Weihua, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony of the congress.

The economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regional conflicts, and climate extremes have posed grim challenges to the global food security, Wu said.