Critical Issues in Consumer Horticulture: Gaps in Research and Public Gardens’ Involvement in Consumer Horticulture

The retail gardening industry in the United States is expected to reach $50 billion by 2023, and it is a significant driver of the agricultural economy. To meet the corresponding demand for information, consumer horticulture (CH) professionals will need to develop innovative digital outreach, research-based solutions, a concerted recruitment of youth, and enhanced collaborations. To understand the current gaps in CH research and the extent of the involvement of public gardens in CH, surveys were conducted among the two groups, CH/extension researchers and staff of public gardens. The results of the surveys were presented at the virtual conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science on 12 Aug. 2020 during a workshop hosted by the Consumer Horticulture and Master Gardener Professional Interest Group. The workshop included four presentations, and two of those are discussed in this paper: 1) research gaps in CH and 2) bridging the divide between CH and public gardens. Among researchers, even though there was a general understanding of CH, there was a disconnect in participants’ perceptions of the roles of CH in the economy and recreation. The greatest knowledge gap was in basic horticultural practices. Regarding public garden professionals, there needs to be a concerted effort to educate them about CH so they can provide a consistent message to their audiences and the general public.

Virtual conference participant’s perceptions of its effectiveness and future projections

Background The virtual conference format has become an essential tool for professional development of researchers around the world since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify empirical evidence of the benefits and challenges of virtual conferences by investigating participants’ experiences with them. Methods The study participants were delegates to the 40th annual meeting of the Korean Society of Nephrology, which was held virtually in September, 2020. A questionnaire was developed and implemented among the conference attendees. The 44-item questionnaire included five sub-scales related to participant perceptions of the virtual conference, which were (a) convenience and accessibility, (b) planning and organization, (c) technology use, (d) social exchanges, and (e) overall satisfaction, their preferences of conference formats, and their views of future projections for a virtual conference. Results A total of 279 delegates completed and returned the questionnaires (18.8% response rate). Participants varied in gender, age, profession, work location, and prior experience with conferences. On a four-point Likert scale (1 = “strongly disagree” and 4 = “strongly agree”), participants showed positive perceptions of the virtual conference in general, where the total mean (M) was 3.03 and less positive perceptions on social exchanges (M = 2.72). Participant perceptions of the virtual conference differed across age groups, professions, and prior experience with conferences (p < .05). Approximately half of the participants (n = 139) preferred the virtual format, and 33% (n = 92) preferred the conventional format. Participant preferences for the virtual format were somewhat evenly distributed between asynchronous (32.9%) and synchronous (29.1%) modes. Participants predicted a virtual conference would continue to be a popular delivery format after the end of the COVID-19. Conclusions Although participants had positive perceptions of the virtual conference, more support needs to be offered to those who may be less comfortable with using technology or with online interactions, and there is a need for improvement in supporting social exchange among attendees. Also, it is suggested that a blend of asynchronous and synchronous delivery methods should be considered to meet the varied needs of attendees.

The 3rd International Conference on Agriculture and Bioindustry (ICAGRI)

(The 3rd ICAGRI 2021) The 3rd ICAGRI-2021 theme is “Sustainable Technologies for Enhancing Agricultural Productivity: Challenges and Current Scenario” Banda Aceh, 13 October 2021 Organized by: Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala Supported by: Extended Preface The 3rd International Conference on Agriculture and Bioindustry (ICAGRI) is an international conference that brings leading international academia, researchers, policymakers, professionals and stakeholders in the domain of interest from around the world together. Various issues related to Environmental Studies, Soil and Earth Science, Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural Engineering, Food Science, Animal Husbandry, Biodiversity, Biomaterial and Bioindustry and were discussed to accelerate innovation and technology of resource-based food security and local wisdom. The conference that organized by Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK) was held on October 13, 2021 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. This year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was carried out in the form of virtual conference to avoid personnel gatherings. Nevertheless, we can see the enthusiasm of the participants from the number of papers we received. In total, we received 174 submitted papers through submission system, while 59 submission papers were rejected due to irrelevant topics and content concerns. A total of 115 papers were accepted for presentations on the 3rd ICAGRI 2021. Selected papers were compiled into the proceeding after being reviewed rigorously. The conference was not postponed since it has been scheduled and planned for last 6 months. It also related with tight schedule of keynote and invited speakers. Moreover, it is regularly requested by researchers from previous ICAGRI to perform the conference as planned. It was conducted using Zoom platform and lively broadcast through YouTube platform. The conference started by keynote speakers’ presentations, and followed by invited speakers and participant presentations. There was a discussion session after each presentation. We are greatly honored to have Prof. Dr. Ir. Dedi Nursyamsi, M.Agr (representative of minister of agriculture Republic Indonesia), Prof. Dr. Fátima Baptista (University of Évora and MED, Portugal), Dr. Natsumi Kanzaki (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan), Prof. Dr. Susanne Neugart (Georg-August-Universitát Gottingen, Germany). As the conference chair, we would like to thanks to the organizing committee, the international scientific committee, the reviewers, the editors, and the publisher for tremendous contribution on the 3rd ICAGRI 2021. We are expecting more experts and scholars from all over the world to join the next ICAGRI in 2022. Sincerely yours, Dr. rer. hort. Indera Sakti Nasution, M.Sc. Chairperson of the 3rd ICAGRI 2021 EDITORIAL BOARDS AND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, ADVISORY BOARD, ORGANIZING COMMITTEE are available in the pdf

Preface

The International Conference on Materials Chemistry and Environmental Engineering (CONF-MCEE 2021) The International Conference on Materials Chemistry and Environmental Engineering (CONF-MCEE 2021) is a leading conference, hosted by Eliwise Academy annually. It encourages communication and collaboration, hoping to provide an international platform for its participants to present, share, and learn the latest advance and development of materials, chemistry, and environmental engineering. Academics, researchers, and students from across the world are all welcomed to exchange findings and ideas to draw further inspirations in these research fields. It’s a great opportunity to deepen your understanding in the related topics. This volume contains the papers presented at the International Conference on Materials Chemistry and Environmental Engineering (CONF-MCEE 2021), held during November 11-16, 2021. Under the influence of COVID-19, the on-site conference was regretfully cancelled and CONF-MCEE was held online. For the safety concern of all participants, we decided to hold a virtual conference which is also effective and convenient for academic exchange and communication. Everyone interested in this field were welcomed to join the online conference on our YouTube channel and to give comments and raise questions to the speeches and presentations. We are hoping the pandemic to soon come to an end and we could see each other next year. CONF-MCEE 2021 received 179 submissions in the area of materials science and engineering, chemical science and technology, and environmental engineering. Each of the 179 submissions was reviewed by at least two Program Committee members. The committee decided to accept 64 papers that are included in these proceedings. We would like to thank the Program Committee members and external reviewers for their hard work in reviewing and selecting papers. Hopefully, all participants and other interested readers can benefit scientifically from the proceedings and find it rewarding in the process. Prof. Shuai Chen Chairman of Conference Committee List of Committee, Chairman, Technical Program Committee, Organizing Committee, Publicity Committee are available in this pdf.

YSN-ASM International Scientific Virtual Conference (ISVC) 2021 – Abstracts

This is the compilation of accepted abstracts from YSN-ASM International Scientific Virtual Conference (ISVC) 2021 organised on 29 March - 1 April 2021.

A “Middle Voice” from the South

In the 2020 Prague Virtual Conference of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), Sharon Traweek was awarded the society’s John D. Bernal Prize jointly with Langdon Winner. The Bernal Prize is awarded annually to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the field of STS. Prize recipients include founders of the field of STS, along with outstanding scholars who have devoted their careers to the understanding of the social dimensions of science and technology. This is a reflection on Traweek’s work on epistemic authority in relation to Kaleidos—Center for Interdisciplinary Ethnography in Ecuador.

STS as a Lens to Study Disciplines and Interdisciplinarity

In the 2020 Prague Virtual Conference of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), Sharon Traweek was awarded the society’s John D. Bernal Prize jointly with Langdon Winner. The Bernal Prize is awarded annually to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the field of STS. Prize recipients include founders of the field of STS, along with outstanding scholars who have devoted their careers to the understanding of the social dimensions of science and technology. In this essay responding to Traweek's Bernal lecture, Sørensen draws on her critical understanding of academic disciplines to discuss how STS may develop the field’s understanding of disciplines, interdisciplinarity, and itself.