Hektaş Hosts Expert Scientists

Hektaş, a company from OYAK Group, will host world-leading scientists in crop protection. The 2nd International Molecular Plant Protection Congress (IMPPC2023) will take place 15-18 May at the Farming, Analysis, Research & More (F.A.R.M.) research and development facility of Hektaş in Bursa Orhangazi. The event, organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ankara University and Hektaş, will bring together 81 international speakers specializing in molecular entomology, plant pathology and weed science to discuss innovative agricultural practices focused on sustainability. The congress will feature 167 oral presentations and 53 poster presentations, with 40 domestic and international sector stakeholders exhibiting in the exhibition area. The congress, which will be followed by over one thousand participants, will introduce many innovations ranging from dsRNA-based next-generation pesticides to insecticides developed from spider venom. The opening address will be given by US Professor of Biology Craig Mello, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2006 for his work on RNA interference. The congress convenes at a time when environmentally friendly biological and molecular approaches are gaining prominence in combating harmful insects, disease agents and weeds that cause significant yield losses in agricultural production. The congress is described as the most important platform for introducing innovative biomolecular plant protection strategies to the world. Hektaş's Research and Innovation Center in Orhangazi, built on 607 hectares, houses research and development and seed improvement activities, as well as agricultural production areas featuring 350 plant varieties. Producers visiting the facility are shown practical demonstrations of sustainable and innovative techniques developed by Hektaş. In 2022, the center provided practical training to over 5,000 producers. [caption id="attachment_146868" align="aligncenter"] OYAK Chief Executive Officer Süleyman Savaş Erdem[/caption]

'The congress will be a milestone'

OYAK Chief Executive Officer Süleyman Savaş Erdem said they are proud to host an international event at F.A.R.M., one of the world's leading research and development centers that Hektaş has brought to Turkey. He continued as follows: 'Through the work we have undertaken in repositioning Hektaş, we have gained a company that leads and implements innovative practices in agriculture for our country. With the approach we have developed over the last 7 years and the strategic moves in that direction, Hektaş has set the course for Agriculture 5.0, having already signed the Agriculture 4.0 transformation. The future of agriculture is determined not only in the fields but in research and development centers through technology and science. With Hektaş, we are preparing not only today's but also tomorrow's projects and farmers. At the congress we are hosting, we believe that scientists expert in their fields will redirect crop protection strategies. This congress will be a milestone regarding innovation and research and development efforts in crop protection.'   Source