About ISHS

The ISHS is the world's leading independent organization of horticulturists acting as a globally recognized and sought-after platform for research, science-based information exchange and collaboration in support of sustainable innovation in horticulture.
Membership is open to all interested researchers, educators, students and horticultural industry professionals.

The International Society for Horticultural Science - in short ISHS – is a truly global network comprising over 70,000 individuals, universities, governments, institutions, libraries and commercial companies, thousands of whom joined as Individual Members, in addition to a substantial number of Institutional Members and some 50 Member Countries/Regions.

ISHS is a major source of up-to-date information on global horticultural research. ISHS aims to promote research in all branches of horticulture. It encourages the development of international co-operation, bringing together scientific and technical professionals to stimulate, facilitate and co-ordinate research and scientific activities on a global scale.

To nurture and deploy scientific growing knowledge for creating a better world

The Council, which meets annually, is made up of delegates representing the interests of countries-regions, which have contributed a membership fee. Directors are elected by Council at the International Horticultural Congress which is held every fourth year. The Society's policies are guided by the Board of Directors.

In addition to the Council and various sub-Committees, an Executive Committee manages the scientific program. It is composed of the Chairs of the Divisions and Commissions. It is via these bodies that ISHS communicates with members who have specific research interests covering the full range of horticultural science.

Divisions and Commissions establish Working Groups that focus on specialized subject areas. Working Groups have an elected Chair and membership comprised of eminent horticulturists/horticultural scientists. Currently there are more than 100 such Working Groups and others are formed when a need is identified.

The success of the ISHS, in relation to its effective communication and leadership of international co-operation, is largely through the 40+ specialized symposia held annually. These are organised locally in a country, each with a convener, an organising committee, a scientific committee and an editorial board. Designed to be self-financing, these symposia normally concentrate on a technical subject – a crop or research area. Invited speakers present papers, research findings are debated, discussions held, visits arranged and the editor compiles a monograph published as a volume of Acta Horticulturae. These publications are available, at cost, to all ISHS members attending symposia and are archived in many academic/research libraries. The entire Acta Horticulturae library is available online and services the needs of thousands of researchers worldwide who use the www.actahort.org site .

The European Journal of Horticultural Science (eJHS) published by the ISHS in collaboration with the German Society of Horticultural Science (DGG) accepts original research articles and reviews on significant plant science discoveries and new or modified methodologies and technologies with a broad international and cross-disciplinary interest in the scope of global horticulture. eJHS focus is on applied and fundamental aspects of the entire food value chain, ranging from breeding, production, processing, trading to retailing of horticultural crops and commodities in temperate and Mediterranean regions. ISHS members benefit from a discounted Article Publishing Charge (APC). eJHS is available in print + online Open Access.

Fruits, The International Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture is another leading scientific journal, published by the International Society for Horticultural Science in collaboration with CIRAD (France); the journal publishes original articles and reviews on tropical and subtropical horticultural crops. ISHS membership advantages include a reduced subscription fee as well as a discounted Article Publishing Charge (APC). Fruits is available in print + online Open Access.

The other avenue for regular communication is Chronica Horticulturae, the quarterly publication of ISHS. In addition to containing a calendar of events, announcements, news items and details of forthcoming events, Chronica reports on the activities of Divisions, Commissions and Working Groups.

A major benefit of ISHS membership is the privilege of attending the International Horticultural Congress every four years at discounted rates. Congresses are attended by 3,000 or more delegates. They are carefully planned over many years to address all areas of horticultural science of interest to members. The Congress provides opportunities for individuals to present posters or make oral presentations of their current research work. Thus, information is shared with a wide audience. There are numerous social gatherings, sight-seeing opportunities, and the chance to see local horticultural industries during specialized field trips.

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