Special issue for Golden Jubilee Convention of Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) and National Conference on Advancements for Next Generation Agriculture (ANGA-2026)

11-11-2026

Special Issue | Plant Science Today (eISSN: 2348-1900)

Plant Science Today (PST), in collaboration with the Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) and Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, is pleased to announce a Special Issue featuring selected high-quality research contributions presented at the Golden Jubilee Convention of IAUA and the National Conference on Advancements for Next Generation Agriculture (ANGA-2026).

The conference will be held on November 28–29, 2026, at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.

This Special Issue aims to provide an international platform for disseminating innovative research, emerging technologies and scientific advancements that are shaping the future of agriculture and allied sciences. Contributions addressing sustainable agricultural development, modern crop improvement, biotechnology, digital agriculture, climate resilience and agricultural education are particularly encouraged.

Conference details Particulars Details Conference National Conference on Advancements for Next Generation Agriculture (ANGA-2026) Occasion Golden Jubilee Convention of the Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) Dates November 28–29, 2026 Organizers Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, in association with the Indian Agricultural Universities Association, New Delhi Venue Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India Conference email iauaanga2026@gmail.com University website www.bausabour.ac.in Important dates Event Date Release of conference circular August 20, 2026 Last date for abstract submission November 11, 2026 Acceptance notification November 15, 2026 Last date for registration without late fee November 20, 2026 Conference dates November 28–29, 2026

For the conference brochure and further details, please visit the Bihar Agricultural University website or contact the organisers at iauaanga2026@gmail.com.

Focus and scope of the Special Issue

The Special Issue aims to showcase outstanding research contributions and innovative practices emerging from the Golden Jubilee Convention of IAUA and ANGA-2026. Original research articles and comprehensive review papers addressing recent scientific advances, innovative technologies, emerging challenges and transformative approaches in agriculture and allied sciences are invited.

Contributions related to the following broad themes are particularly encouraged.

Theme I: Next generation crop science for smart farming and sustainable agriculture

Next-generation plant breeding, genomics, phenomics, bioinformatics, nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Soil health, carbon farming, water resources, watershed management, environmental sustainability and circular economy.
Climate-smart crop production, precision agriculture and digital decision-support systems.
Artificial intelligence, remote sensing, GIS, agricultural meteorology and crop yield forecasting.
Integrated crop protection, ICT-enabled pest management, green pesticides and beneficial microorganisms in pest management.

Theme II: Advancing horticulture and forestry through new-age technologies

Precision horticulture, protected cultivation, smart orchards and plantation management.
High-value, medicinal, aromatic, exotic and underutilised horticultural crops.
Floriculture, landscaping, urban and peri-urban horticulture and alternative production systems.
Postharvest management, secondary horticulture, smart supply chains and value addition.
Agroforestry, biodiversity conservation and climate-resilient forestry.
Food science, food processing, biofortification, nutrition security, food safety and value addition.

Theme III: Artificial intelligence, digital agriculture and next-generation agricultural engineering

Digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and GPS-guided mechanisation.
Internet of Things (IoT), drones, robotics, smart mechanisation and automation.
Precision irrigation, renewable energy, biomass and biofuel technologies, and land and water management.
Blockchain, cloud computing, food authentication systems, edge computing, smart storage, cold chains and smart packaging.
Postharvest engineering, non-thermal processing, food engineering, the water-energy-food nexus and microbiome engineering.

Theme IV: Transforming animal sciences, fisheries and food systems for a One Health future

Artificial intelligence for precision livestock farming, smart veterinary healthcare and disease surveillance.
Digital dairy management, poultry, small ruminants and integrated livestock systems.
Fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy and sustainable aquatic resource management.
One Health, integrated farming systems, animal biotechnology and sustainable food systems.

Theme V: Future-ready agricultural education, extension, agribusiness and entrepreneurship

AI-enabled teaching, learning and assessment, digital classrooms, virtual laboratories and smart campuses.
Generative AI, large language models (LLMs), responsible AI, academic integrity and research ethics.
Agri-startups, innovation, intellectual property rights (IPR), technology commercialisation, future skills, capacity building and entrepreneurship development.
Agribusiness management, supply chain analysis, agricultural policy and agricultural marketing research.
Digital marketing, marketing intelligence, cooperatives, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), agricultural finance and exports.
Extension approaches, rural development, agricultural policies, gender and inclusive extension.

Theme VI: Reimagining agricultural universities through leadership, governance, policy and international partnerships

Vision 2047 for agricultural higher education, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and curriculum innovation.
Leadership, institutional transformation, AI-driven smart university governance and digital transformation.
Strengthening the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES) and research excellence.
International collaboration, quality assurance, accreditation, academic excellence, global rankings and institutional performance.
Student READY, experiential learning, national and international scholarships, career development, higher studies and the transformation of graduates from job seekers to job creators.

Submission guidelines

1. Eligibility

Authors must have presented their research work, either as an oral or poster presentation, at ANGA-2026. Only contributions presented at the conference will be considered for the Special Issue.

2. Peer-review process

All submitted manuscripts will undergo the journal's standard rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Selection for publication will be based on scientific quality, originality, relevance and compliance with the journal's editorial standards.

3. Manuscript preparation and submission

Authors are requested to prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the formatting and submission guidelines available on the Plant Science Today author gateway.

4. Publication charges

Journal publication fees are separate from conference registration fees. Conference registration does not include publication charges for the Special Issue.

Guest editors

The Special Issue will be handled by the following Guest Editors:

1. Dr Duniya Ram Singh
Vice-Chancellor, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.

2. Dr Anshuman Kohli
University Professor-cum-Chief Scientist, Department of Soil Science, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India.

3. Dr Chandan Kumar Panda
Assistant Professor-cum-Junior Scientist, Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India.

Biographies of the Guest Editors Dr Duniya Ram Singh

Dr Duniya Ram Singh is an eminent agricultural scientist, academician and research administrator, currently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, and held several other important academic and administrative positions. He has also served as Director of ICAR–National Research Centre for Orchids, Sikkim, and as a Senior Scientist at ICAR–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair.

His research interests and contributions encompass horticultural science, tropical fruit crops, orchid research, plant biotechnology and sustainable agricultural development. He has authored approximately 250 research papers, 19 books and several policy papers. He has also received 32 national and international awards in recognition of his scientific and academic contributions. His work has significantly contributed to horticultural research, crop diversification and the promotion of innovative agricultural technologies.

Dr Anshuman Kohli

Dr Anshuman Kohli is a University Professor-cum-Chief Scientist in the Department of Soil Science at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India. He holds a PhD in Soil Science, with specialisation in Soil Physics.

His research interests encompass soil physical processes, soil fertility, nutrient management, microbial technologies, soil survey and classification, soil health management and sustainable crop production systems. His research contributions particularly focus on improving soil quality, resource-use efficiency and productivity in rice- and wheat-based cropping systems. He has published extensively in national and international scientific journals and actively contributes to agricultural research, teaching and the advancement of sustainable soil management practices.

Dr Chandan Kumar Panda

Dr Chandan Kumar Panda is an Assistant Professor-cum-Junior Scientist in Agricultural Extension Education at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, India. His research interests include agricultural extension, digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, ICT applications and agricultural education.

He has published approximately 50 research papers, 11 books and 30 book chapters, and holds patents and copyrights. He has led ICAR extramural research projects and projects funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India. He has also led a DST-funded international collaborative research project with Inria, University of Lille, France. In addition, he has editorial experience with Wiley publications and has guided two PhD and nine MSc scholars.

Join us in advancing next-generation agriculture

Plant Science Today invites researchers, academicians, scientists, faculty members and postgraduate research scholars working in plant sciences, agriculture and allied disciplines to participate in ANGA-2026 and contribute to this Special Issue.

We encourage members of the Plant Science Today community to share this announcement with colleagues, research groups and students whose research interests align with the conference themes.

For conference-related enquiries, please contact:

Email: iauaanga2026@gmail.com
Website: Bihar Agricultural University

We look forward to receiving high-quality scientific contributions that will help shape the future of agriculture and allied sciences.