The ISHS Second International Symposium on Fruit Culture along Silk Road Countries was held in Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from October 2nd to 6th, 2017. Over 80 delegates from countries along Silk Road attended the symposium. The symposium is organized by the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and is hosted by the University of Banja Luka. The theme of the meeting is “Fruits for the Future”. The main topics in this symposium covered fruit genetics and breeding, sustainable use of fruit genetic resources, effects of climate change on fruit culture in silk road countries, economic and social impact of the fruit culture in the silk road countries, traditional uses of fruits in relation with health and nutrient traits, Orchard systems, pollination and pollinators, phytosanitary issues in fruit culture. As a member of scientific committee of the symposium, Prof. Yuanwen Teng from College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University attended this meeting and was invited as a keynote speaker to deliver a speech entitled “the origin of Asian pear cultivars inferred from DNA markers”. During the meeting, Prof. Teng was interviewed by a local TV station to have a brief introduction of fruit industry in China and importance in the exchange of germplasm resources of fruit trees among the countries along the Silk Road. The 3rd International Symposium on Fruit Culture along Silk Road Countries will be hosted by Prof. Teng from Zhejiang University, China in 2021.
