An international scientific conference is being held in cooperation with the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University of the People's Republic of China, the Silk Road Wheat Innovation Alliance, and Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov.

Nearly 25 researchers, scientists, professors, and specialists in the field of wheat from several prestigious Chinese higher education institutions and research centers are participating in the conference. The program includes presentations by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dingxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Henan University of Technology, Ningxia University, and Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. These presentations focus on recent research and developments in wheat science.

The conference also features participation from scientists at the Institute of Plant Genetics and Breeding of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of Agriculture for Arid Regions in Pakistan. Key topics discussed by leading scientists at this scientific-practical conference include the use of genetic engineering in developing new drought- and climate-resistant wheat varieties, increasing wheat productivity, and integrated approaches to disease and pest control. These discussions reflect research being conducted in China, Russia, and Central Asian countries.

The main goal of the event is to raise the level of scientific research on wheat in Silk Road countries and strengthen regional food security through the exchange of experiences.

At the conference’s opening ceremony, the Rector of Samarkand State University, Honored Scientist of the Republic of Uzbekistan and member of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Rustam Kholmurodov, and Professor Fang Yulin of China’s Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University signed an agreement to establish the China–Uzbekistan Center for Crop Breeding and Seed Production at Samarkand State University. A symbolic inauguration ceremony of the center was also held during the event.

This initiative aims to enhance the productivity of wheat and other crops in the similar ecological zones of both countries using scientifically based recommendations and advancements, and to contribute to regional food security.

The center’s objectives include the development of new wheat and other crop varieties adapted to Uzbekistan’s conditions (such as soil salinity, drought, and climate change), intensifying research in this field, and jointly training a new generation of professionals in plant breeding and seed production.