8th International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications
Sala Cinese
Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy
Model plant and novel crop, the thousand faces of duckweed
Welcome to the 8th International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications (ICDRA 2026), hosted in Portici (Naples), Italy, from 28 September to 2 October 2026. Building on over a decade of successful meetings, ICDRA 2026 brings together researchers, and industry professionals to explore duckweed as both a model plant system and a versatile novel crop.
The scientific programme spans five thematic sessions — Genes, Genomes & Evolution; Ecology & Diversity; Cell Biology, Physiology & Metabolisms; Microbiome & Interactions; and Applications — covering the full breadth of current duckweed science, from fundamental genomics to real-world applications in food, feed, bioremediation, and bioenergy.
This edition carries a special significance: 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Elias Landolt (1926–2013), the Swiss geobotanist whose monographic work on the Lemnaceae laid the foundation of modern duckweed taxonomy — and in whose honour the genus Landoltia was named. A dedicated commemorative session will feature a tribute by PD Dr. Klaus-J. Appenroth (Friedrich Schiller University Jena), longtime collaborator and friend of Landolt.
The conference features a distinguished lineup of invited speakers, including plenary speaker Prof. Robert A. Martienssen (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA) alongside invited talks by Arturo Marí-Ordóñez (GMI, Austria), Shuqing Xu (University of Mainz, Germany), Eric Lam (Rutgers University, USA), Anthony Bishopp (University of Nottingham, UK), Metha Meetam (Mahidol University, Thailand), and K. Sowjanya Sree (Central University of Kerala, India).
We look forward to welcoming you to Naples — where science meets history, culture, and the best pizza in the world.