From November 5 to 7, 2025, the inaugural National Symposium on Parasitic Plants was successfully held at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The symposium was co-chaired by Professor Jianqiang Wu and Professor Airong Li, both from the host institute.
The event brought together leading researchers in the field of parasitic plant studies in China, attracting 75 participants from 19 research institutions and universities. As the first academic conference in China dedicated entirely to parasitic plants, the symposium was organized under the theme “Research, Control, and Utilization of Parasitic Plants,” with the aim of advancing cutting-edge research and promoting applications in weed control and resource utilization. The scientific program included 12 keynote presentations, 13 contributed talks, and 8 poster presentations, stimulating in-depth discussions and active exchanges across three major themes: frontier research in parasitic plant biology, integrated management of parasitic weeds, and sustainable development of parasitic plant resources. The presentations showcased the latest research progress from various teams, covering four major types of parasitic plants and highlighting interdisciplinary methodologies.
Participants acknowledged that the symposium served as an effective platform for academic exchange and is expected to foster extensive collaboration. It was agreed that the symposium will be established as a biennial event to further strengthen communication and cooperation within the Chinese parasitic plant research community.