Contact

Coordinator, IACT V

Prof. Guangyu Chen Email: genebksh@163.com

Secretariat, IACT V

Dr. Jingsong Zhou Email: zjsheart@163.com

Dr. Wenjing Chen Email: wenjing@walkerseed.com

Dr. Yuling Yin Email: Yuling_0_2000@163.com

Please send completed forms to: iact_v@jxaas.cn

Questions & Answers

A. Participation and Registration

Q1: Who can participate in IACT V?

Participation is voluntary and open to researchers, breeders and extension specialists from all countries. Participants may withdraw at any time by giving prior notice to the Liaison Group.

Q2: Is there an entry fee for participation?

No entry fee is charged. However, each participating institution bears its own local costs, including land, labor, materials, seed import and phytosanitary clearance, and analysis. Participants are encouraged to seek local or national funding to support their involvement.

B. Cultivar Entry and Checks

Q3: What types of cultivars can be entered in the trial?

Entries may be commercial cultivars or advanced breeding lines, and must be clearly identified by name or code, origin and type. The trial focuses on green asparagus, under both open-field and protected cultivation. White or purple asparagus must be declared in advance and will be analyzed as a separate group, outside the main statistical analysis.

Q4: What checks are required?

Checks follow a dual system: (1) Universal checks (mandatory) — Gijnlim F1 or Aspalim F1 is recommended for temperate and Mediterranean climates, and Grande F1 or Atlas F1 for tropical and subtropical climates; each site should include at least two universal checks. (2) Local checks (encouraged) — sites may add one or two locally grown mainstream cultivars.

C. Seed Supply, Shipping and Import Regulations

Q5: What import regulations apply to cross-border seed shipments?

Import regulations vary from country to country. Each trial site must follow its own national requirements and handle the relevant procedures independently. As the coordinating body, the Liaison Group is not responsible for preparing the required documents or covering any associated fees. However, we will facilitate direct communication between seed providers and trial sites so that trial sites can provide seed providers with the specific information required for shipment.

Q6: Will trial sites provide all required import permits and accompanying documentation.

Yes. We will have each trial site that requests seeds contact the seed provider directly to supply all required import permits and accompanying documentation.

Q7: What is the timeline for seed delivery, so that I can obtain a phytosanitary certificate in time?

To ensure that the IACT V trials proceed on schedule, the seeds should reach each trial site by December 31, 2026. Please use this timeline to Please use this timeline to arrange for the necessary phytosanitary certificate and other required documentation.

Q8: How much seed should be supplied per cultivar?

At least 20 g (or 200 seeds) per cultivar, including checks, shall be supplied to each trial site to allow for planting and any replanting. Seed providers shall arrange international shipping themselves and send seeds directly to each trial site, following the demand list issued by the Liaison Group.

Q9: What is the role of the Liaison Group in seed supply and shipping?

As a neutral coordinator, the Liaison Group is responsible only for (1) recording seed supply intentions and cultivar lists, and (2) matching supply with demand and notifying each provider of the corresponding shipping addresses. The Liaison Group takes no part in transport operations and bears no costs or responsibilities relating to international shipping, customs clearance or phytosanitary procedures. Seed providers and trial sites are themselves responsible for ensuring that cross-border shipments comply with the phytosanitary regulations of both countries.

D. Trial Implementation and Data Collection

Q10: Where should trial sites be located?

Each site shall be located in a representative commercial or experimental asparagus production area. Sites should span the major ecological growing zones of the five continents to ensure broad ecological representativeness. Soil, climate, irrigation and management conditions must be documented in detail for each site.

Q11: What experimental design is recommended?

A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with at least three replications is recommended. Each site determines its own first harvest year according to local climatic conditions; this must be recorded accurately.

Q12: What data will be collected?

Standardized records shall be kept for emergence, fern growth, spear yield (early, total and marketable), spear quality (diameter, color, uniformity and tightness), disease incidence and pest damage. Observations on abiotic stress tolerance (drought, heat and cold) are encouraged.

Q13: Could you provide more details of your trial — who is responsible for collecting, analyzing and reporting the data, and what are the trial locations, experimental design, number of entries, harvesting schedule, and data-collection schedule?

For the overall trial framework and related details, please refer to the General Principles document, or visit our website at https://iact.nyxxhyy.com/index.html. These resources cover trial sites, experimental design, data collection, data sharing and publication, and other key aspects. More specific details — such as the responsible persons for data collection, analysis and reporting at each location, precise harvest and data collection timetables, and the exact data points to be recorded — will be provided directly by the individual participating trial teams when they contact you.

E. Trial Duration, Results and Publication

Q14: How long does the trial last?

The trial cycle is synchronized with the International Asparagus Symposium (IAS) and spans five calendar years, from Year 0 to Year 4, matching the four-year interval between symposia. For the present cycle: Year 0 (2026) — launch of IACT V: registration, matching of seed supply and demand, seed shipment; Year 1 (2027) — sowing and transplanting (establishment year); Year 2 (2028) — first harvest year; Year 3 (2029) — full production; Year 4 (2030) — data compilation and final reporting, with results presented at the 17th IAS. The actual first harvest year may differ between sites according to local climatic conditions and must be recorded accurately.

Q15: How are the results shared and published?

All trial sites agree to submit raw and summarized data to the Liaison Group, which will collect, validate and compile the results and share them with all participants, including the seed providers. Sites are encouraged to present their local results at the International Asparagus Symposium (IAS), as an oral presentation or a poster, and to submit their findings to Acta Horticulturae or another peer-reviewed journal.