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6-8 August, 2025
RACV Royal Pines Resort
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Program

Banana Congress 2025 will see the return of Congress favourites including the Gala Ball and Awards of Honour and our much-loved Women’s Luncheon will also be back and better than ever. Building on the success of previous years, the Science Symposium will be held the day prior to Congress. This is a huge drawcard for researchers, as well as science-minded growers and industry stakeholders. While we’re bringing back the favourites, rest assured Congress 2025 will also offer new experiences, a fresh layout and tackle some key industry issues.

The Congress program is subject to change. 

Time Wednesday 6 August 2025
0730
REGISTRATION
Venue: ABGC Lounge Venue: Podium Lawns
0830-1630
Science Symposium
Tea and coffee on arrival
Site Tour
0845-1015
SESSION 1

Welcome and introduction
Information coming soon.
1015-1040
Morning tea
1040-1135
SESSION 2
1135-1225
SESSION 3
1225-1325
Lunch
1325-1420
SESSION 4
1420-1505
SESSION 5
1505-1520
Afternoon tea
1520-1630
SESSION 6

Reconnect

Venue: ABGC Lounge Venue: Podium Lawns
TBC
ABGC Member Meet-Up
Insider’s guide to Congress
Venue: ABGC Lounge Venue: Podium Lawns
1730-1930 Welcome reception
Time Thursday 7 August 2025
0700
REGISTRATION
0730
Tea and coffee open
Venue: TBC
SPONSORED BREAKAST 1
*Registration required
0830-0915
SESSION 1
Keynote speaker

RECHARGE

0915-0925
OFFICIAL OPENING
Introduction from Banana Congress MC Pip Courtney
ABGC Welcome and State of the Industry
0925-1015
HOT TOPIC SPEAKER / DISCUSSION
1015-1045
Morning tea
Served in the Exhibition hall
1045-1130
SESSION 2
1130-1215
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
Panel discussion
1215-1415
Lunch break
Lunch served in the Exhibition hall
Venue: TBC
Banana Women’s Luncheon
1415-1530
SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT
What’s happening now and what’s on the cards

REGENERATE

1540-1610
Afternoon tea & Science Poster Session
Served in the Exhibition hall
1610-1700
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS
Speaker and panel
Time Thursday 7 August 2025
0700
REGISTRATION
0715-0800
Sponsored Breakfast
0730
Tea, coffee and tradeshow open
0830-1700
Banana Congress Day 1
1730-1930 Tradeshow Exhibition Evening
Time Friday 8 August 2025
0600
GET ACTIVE (More to come!)
0700
REGISTRATION
0730
Tea and coffee open
Venue: TBC
ABGC MEMBERS ONLY GROWER MEETING
*pre-registration required
0830-1000
SESSION 4 HOT TOPIC SPEAKER AND DISCUSSION
Keynote speaker
1000-1030
Morning tea
Served in the Exhibition hall
1030-1200
SESSION 5
1200-1330
Lunch break
1330-1345
SESSION 6
1345-1520
TBC
1520-1530
Closing address
Time Friday 8 August 2025
0700
REGISTRATION
0730
Tea and coffee open
0830-1000
SESSION 5
MC welcome to congress day 2
1000-1030
Morning tea
1030-1200
SESSION 6
1200-1400
Lunch break
Lunch served in the exhibition area
1400-1520
SESSION 7
1520-1530
Closing address
Paul Inderbitzin, Congress Chair
1540-1610
Afternoon tea & Science Poster Session
Time Friday 8 August 2025
0600
GET ACTIVE (More to come!)
0700
REGISTRATION
0730
Tea, coffee and tradeshow open
0830-1530
Banana Congress Day 2
1900 Banana Industry Ball & Awards of Honour

Science Poster Panel

Paper # Presenter Abstract Submission Title Presenting at Science
Poster Panel
1
Elizabeth Aitken
Identifying Sources of Resistance to Fusarium Wilt
2
Delwar Akbar
Banana action plan: How to minimise food waste?
3
Molly Blake
Understanding inter-row ground cover in the Wet Tropics Banana farming region
4
Shannon Byrnes
Banana Yield Mapping
5
Lilia Carvalhais
Novel assay to detect Ralstonia solanacearum causing Moko disease in banana
6
Tegan Cavallaro
Extension – The value of putting grower collaboration at the heart of project design and delivery.
7
Ingrid Jenkins
Bunch pest management, investigating practices to maximise efficacy and stewardship of registered chemistries
8
John Thomas
A lateral flow immunoassay for the in-field detection of banana bunchy top virus
9
Kathy Crew
BBTV-infected plants are infectious earlier than previously thought!
10
Andre Drenth
Keeping bananas healthy
11
David East
Chemical control of yellow Sigatoka
12
Paul Edwards
Cavendish Banana production management using plant growth regulators
13
Daniel Farrell
Insect sanctuaries for Beneficial Predators and Parasites in Bananas
14
Daniel Farrell
Using Beneficial Mites to Control Banana Spider Mites
15
Kathy Grice
Is deleafing critical in the management of yellow Sigatoka?
16
Alex Lindsay
The banana nutrient rates trial project
17
Andrew Macnish
Banana supply chain monitoring and simulation identifies critical control points
18
Thu Ha Ngo
Diagnosis of Panama TR4 in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 for NATA accreditation
19
Vu Nguyen
EFS – suppression of TR4 is now possible
20
Cecilia O’Dwyer
Development and validation of diagnostic assays for detection of phytoplasmas infecting banana
21
Tony Pattison
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help with Panama disease decision making
22
Richard Piper
Entomopathogens for banana bunch pest control.
23
Emily Rames
Diverse banana germplasm to support industry development
24
Janet Roberts
Pathology and Ecology of Fusarium Wilt Subtropical Race 4
25
Katelyn Robertson
Are we approaching Goldfinger’s golden era?
26
Visnja Steele
Virus diagnostics support movement of clean planting material

Science Poster Panel

Paper # Presenter Abstract Submission Title Presenting at Science
Poster Panel
1
Elizabeth Aitken
Identifying Sources of Resistance to Fusarium Wilt
2
Delwar Akbar
Banana action plan: How to minimise food waste?
3
Molly Blake
Understanding inter-row ground cover in the Wet Tropics Banana farming region
4
Shannon Byrnes
Banana Yield Mapping
5
Lilia Carvalhais
Novel assay to detect Ralstonia solanacearum causing Moko disease in banana
6
Tegan Cavallaro
Extension – The value of putting grower collaboration at the heart of project design and delivery.
7
Ingrid Jenkins
Bunch pest management, investigating practices to maximise efficacy and stewardship of registered chemistries
8
John Thomas
A lateral flow immunoassay for the in-field detection of banana bunchy top virus
9
Kathy Crew
BBTV-infected plants are infectious earlier than previously thought!
10
Andre Drenth
Keeping bananas healthy
11
David East
Chemical control of yellow Sigatoka
12
Paul Edwards
Cavendish Banana production management using plant growth regulators
13
Daniel Farrell
Insect sanctuaries for Beneficial Predators and Parasites in Bananas
14
Daniel Farrell
Using Beneficial Mites to Control Banana Spider Mites
15
Kathy Grice
Is deleafing critical in the management of yellow Sigatoka?
16
Alex Lindsay
The banana nutrient rates trial project
17
Andrew Macnish
Banana supply chain monitoring and simulation identifies critical control points
18
Thu Ha Ngo
Diagnosis of Panama TR4 in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 for NATA accreditation
19
Vu Nguyen
EFS – suppression of TR4 is now possible
20
Cecilia O’Dwyer
Development and validation of diagnostic assays for detection of phytoplasmas infecting banana
21
Tony Pattison
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help with Panama disease decision making
22
Richard Piper
Entomopathogens for banana bunch pest control.
23
Emily Rames
Diverse banana germplasm to support industry development
24
Janet Roberts
Pathology and Ecology of Fusarium Wilt Subtropical Race 4
25
Katelyn Robertson
Are we approaching Goldfinger’s golden era?
26
Visnja Steele
Virus diagnostics support movement of clean planting material