Second Call for the 4th International Symposium on Soil Microbiome and Soil Health

Healthy soils play a critical role in improving soil fertility and crop productivity, enhancing crop immunity, and sustaining long-term soil productivity. Unraveling the intrinsic relationship between the soil microbiome and soil health is an urgent need for promoting green  development of regional agroecosystems and supporting the Rural Revitalization Strategy, as well as a major task for safeguarding global   food security. The 4th International Symposium on Soil Microbiome and Soil Health will be held at Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China from September 18 to 21, 2026. The symposium aims to bring together leading scientists from around the world to exchange and discuss cutting-edge advances in sustainable soil utilization and environmental health. We sincerely welcome colleagues from all   sectors to participate!

Ⅰ. Conference Organizers

Organizers:

- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University

- The Innovation Base for Soil Microbiome and Soil Health in Arid Regions

- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Soil Microbial Ecology and Sustainable Land Productivity in Arid Areas

- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agro-Environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northwest A&F University

Conference Chair：

Prof. Gehong Wei & Prof. James M. Tiedje

Co-Chairs：

Prof. Shuo Jiao & Prof. Xun Qian

Committee Members (in alphabetical order by surname)：

Chun Chen, Hongyu Dang, Jinshi Jian, Zishu Liu, Chengjie Ren, Xihui Shen, Peng Shi, Duntao Shu, Li Song, Xiaomeng Wei, Chao Zhang

Secretariat：

Ping Li, Xingxing Wang

Ⅱ. Conference Theme

1. Soil and plant microbiomes in relation to soil health;

2. Soil biogeochemistry and sustainable soil management;

3. Emerging contaminants and the "One Health" perspective.

Ⅲ. Invited Speakers 

James M. Tiedje ：U.S. National Academy of Sciences member

Jorge Mazza Rodrigues ：University of California, Davis

Maxim Dorodnikov： University of Münster

Hongyan Zhu：University of Kentucky

Susann Müller：Leipzig University

ChangJun Cha： Chung-Ang University

Ferran Romero Blanch：Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Hoon Je Seong ：Jeonbuk National University

Man-Young Jung ： Jeju National University

Ke Dong： Kyonggi University

Miao Han：University of Konstanz

(to be updated...)

Ⅲ. Time and Venue of Conference

Meeting Time: September 18–21, 2026

Venue: Conference room 208, International Exchange Center, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University

Ⅳ. Conference Schedule

September 18 : On-site registration (all day)

September 19–20 (Saturday–Sunday): Oral presentations and panel discussions

September 21 (Monday): Organized field tour

Ⅴ.Transportation &  Accommodation

Airport: Xi’an Xianyang International Airport is approximately 87 km from the South Campus. Taxi ride takes about 1 hour.

Railway Stations: Yangling South Railway Station or Yangling Railway Station; approximately 3.3 km to the South Campus, taxi ride takes about 10 minutes.

Accommodation: Guest House, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

Weather : Average temperature during the symposium: 14°C – 21°C.

Ⅵ. Talks

For all invited speakers, please prepare a 30-minutes PPT (16:9) presentation.

Ⅶ. Visa Application

As a warm reminder, we recommend you to apply for a Chinese visa two months before your departure. You can visit the Chinese visa website for details: http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lhqz/lhqzjjs/

According to the Mutual Visa Exemption Agreements signed between the People's Republic of China and 83 countries/regions, persons of specific nationalities who fulfill certain entry requirements can enjoy visa exemption. Please refer to the latest version of “List of Mutual Visa Exemption Agreements between China and Foreign Countries”https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c180637/content.html, posted on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China for details of the applicants and implementation rules.

In case of special circumstances, it is recommended to apply for the expedited channel service through the reservation system of the local Chinese embassy or consular office.

Ⅷ. Conference Contacts

General and overall info:

Prof. Xun Qian (qianxun@nwafu.edu.cn)

Academic & Conference related Assistance:

Ms. Xingxing Wang (wxxstella@nwafu.edu.cn)

We look forward to welcoming you to Yangling for an inspiring and productive symposium!