The National Youth Symposium on Rangeland Protection was held in Xilin Gol City, Inner Mongolia, on 6-7 June, 2016. The Symposium was co-organised by Professional Committee of Grassland Protection, Chinese Grassland Society, Xilin Gol Station for Scientific Observation and Experiment on Rangeland Pests, China MOA, attached to IPP-CAAS, and National Industrial Technique System for Pasture Diseases and Insect Pests.

Dr. ZHANG Zehua, the Director of Professional Committee of Grassland Protection, Chinese Grassland Society, warmly welcomed the participants and briefly introduced the research work and the future development of the Xilin Gol Station for Scientific Observation and Experiment on Rangeland Pests. He hoped that the participants could strengthen communication and collaboration with the help of the Station. He stated the significance of the Symposium afterwards. He argued that this Symposium was designed to strengthen the basic research, keep an eye on domestic collaboration, focus on local demands and provide training to young scientists. During the Symposium, the invited scientists with fame delivered speeches. Prof. Mark Richard McNeill (AgResearch, Lincoln Centre, New Zealand), Profs. ZHOU Huanbin, ZHANG Zehua, LIU Xiaohui and BAN Liping talked on Biocontrol and Pest Management in New Zealand’s Grassland Agriculture, Application of Targeted Genome Editing Technology in Plant Functional Genomic Research and Creation of New Germplasm, the Interaction of Insects-Fungus and Plants in Ecosystem, the Regulatory Mechanism to the Propagation of Microtus brandti Radde, the Action of Alert Pheromone to Aphid and the Host Plant, etc. The participants discussed the propagation model of grassland pest populations, the application of pheromones in insect pest control, targeted genome editing and plant-insect-fungus interaction—the technology and the method. They probed also into the existing problems in pasture production. This Symposium is of significance in strengthening the basic research and youth training, and promoting the work in rangeland protection.

30 scientists from AgResearch, Lincoln Centre, New Zealand, the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Gansu Agricultural University, Rangeland Working Station, Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, attended the Symposium.