This Year's Amphacademy
Amphacademy is Amphasys’ annual symposium where experts from the seed industry and academia share how pollen quality monitoring is transforming plant breeding and seed production. This year’s speakers will present real-world success stories from across the globe – from optimizing pollination in Southern Africa to ensuring sustainable olive production in Alpine climates, chickpea cold-tolerance in Australia to ornamentals seed production in Costa Rica.
Learn about best-practices to improve processes in breeding and seed production with better knowledge about the reproductive properties of your genetics and hear about strategies to find the best varieties tolerant to abiotic stress. Join us to discover why leading seed companies generate knowledge about reproductive properties through pollen quality analysis.
Program Overview
Wednesday Day 1
2 pm
Welcome
Thursday Day 2
2 pm
2:45 pm
5 pm
Farewell
Program & Speakers
Wednesday, 17.09.2025
2:00 pm (CEST)
Welcome
Marcel Ottiger, CEO, AMPHASYS – Switzerland
2:15 pm (CEST)
Fertilized Knowledge - Harnessing the Power of Pollen Quality Screening
Jörg Schrickel, AMPHASYS – Switzerland
Pollen quality has emerged as a critical factor in plant reproduction and seed production. Pollen, essential for transferring genetic material, is highly sensitive to environmental stressors as well as genetic issues. Ensuring its viability is vital for both hybrid and line breeding.
Amphasys’ advanced technology enables breeders and seed producers to make informed decisions about best pollinator lines, crop placement, pollination strategies, and male-to-female ratios. Ultimately, these advancements contribute to more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. Pollen quality is no longer a secondary concern—it’s a cornerstone of modern, efficient, and climate-resilient agriculture.
Discover how systematic pollen quality monitoring provides the needed information about plant reproductive properties to improve results in breeding and seed production.
3:00 pm (CEST)
Impedance flow cytometry to dissect variation and predict regenerative potential in B. napus microspores and protoplasts
Robin Lardon, HortiCell (UGent) – Belgium
Doubled haploid production provides a quicker alternative than hybrid breeding and conventional inbreeding, but efficient protocols are lacking for many species and microspore cultures exhibit extensive variation. Similarly, protoplasts culture optimization is mostly based on microscopic evaluation, which remains a hurdle.
Impedance flow cytometry allows to identify parameters that correlate with embryogenesis. For protoplasts, measurement parameters reflect viability and size, and further statistics allowed to track cell division.
Discover how data from impedance flow cytometry measurements of microspore and protoplast cultures can improve DH production.
3:45 pm (CEST)
The Impact of Climate Change on Seed Production – Strategies for the Future
Interactive Online Discussion Round
Moderated by seed professional Jan Droppers, experts from industry and academy discuss this pressing issue.
Jan Droppers
Consultant
Climate change is here and unmistakable. The impacts on agriculture are significant, affecting plant breeding and seed production. We have invited experts from the seed industry to discuss this controversial topic: what are the consequences of rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather events on seed production and what solutions are available?
Join moderator Jan Droppers and our invited panelists to this interactive discussion round on a hot topic: how the climate change is impacting seed production and what strategies are there for the future.
Marcelo E. Perez
Black Venture Farm Director
Lucile Daron van Gennep
Productibility Specialist at Enza Zaden
Hernán Aníbal Muñoz Zúñiga
Solanum Seed production and Product Supply Expert
Agnieszka Doroszuk
Research Manager at Rijk Zwaan
Alexandra Abanto
Application Scientist at Amphasys
Ivo Rieu
Professor at University Radboud
4:45 pm (CEST)
Closing Day 1
Thursday, 18.09.2025
2:00 pm (CEST)
Can Impedance-Based Pollen Viability Measurements Improve Chilling Tolerance Screening in Chickpea?
Amanuel Bekuma, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development – Australia
This groundbreaking study of 216 chickpea genotypes reveals surprising insights into the correlation of pollen viability and pod and seed set under cold conditions. Using Amphasys’ advanced analysis tools, hidden complexity in plant reproductive responses to chilling stress was uncovered.
Discover how Australian researchers are revolutionizing cold-tolerance screening in chickpea breeding using advanced pollen analysis to understand yield losses from winter chilling stress.
2:45 pm (CEST)
The role of pollen viability in olive production, in the world's northernmost cultivation area
Michele Faralli, Associate professor at the University of Trento - Italy
In his webinar, Michele presents results of his study to improve the understanding of fertilization dynamics in high-latitude olive cultivation by examining the interplay between genotype, environmental conditions, and pollen performance. The results will inform adaptive orchard management and guide cultivar selection strategies to support sustainable production in the northern olive-growing region.
Discover how pollen viability analysis is revolutionizing olive production in the world’s northernmost cultivation area – the Garda Lake region of Northern Italy.
3:30 pm (CEST)
Pollen Mapping for Seed Success: Tracking Abiotic Stress and Improving Pollen Quality in Carrots and Brassicas
Michiel Bruggeman, Bee-Tech Group – South Africa
In this webinar, Michiel will share groundbreaking insights from Bee-Tech’s extensive work linking pollen quality measurements with abiotic factors to optimize planting windows and pollination time. Learn how biostimulants can reduce stress-induced pollen damage and maintain pollen integrity.
Join Michiel Bruggeman, as he reveals how data-driven pollen analysis is revolutionizing pollination practices in agriculture.
4:15 pm (CEST)
Implementing Amphasys Technology in Flower Seed Production at PanAmerican Seed
Andrea Riera, PanAmerican Seed – Costa Rica
Nicholas Genna, PanAmerican Seed – USA
Andrea and Nicholas will share their journey of implementing Amphasys’ technology to identify the causes of variability across locations and production cycles. Using pollen quality data in real-time allows optimizing pollen storage methods, understanding environmental impacts on pollen, and directing breeding efforts to improve pollen quality.
Learn how PanAmerican Seed transformed their flower seed production with real-time pollen quality monitoring – from zero testing to global implementation in just 2 years.
5:00 pm (CEST)
Farewell
Learn from Global Success Stories
Connect with industry pioneers who have already transformed their operations using data-driven pollen monitoring. At Amphacademy, you’ll hear directly best practices and success stories from companies that have improved their processes and operations to faster breeding cycles and higher seed yield. These aren’t theoretical possibilities – they’re real results from your peers who faced the same challenges you do today. Their journeys from skepticism to success will inspire and guide your own transformation.
Join a Community of Innovation
Amphacademy is more than an event – it’s your entry point into a global network of forward-thinking professionals who are shaping the future of agriculture. The connections you make, the insights you share, and the collaborations you begin will extend far beyond the symposium itself. You’ll become part of a movement that’s proving that better data leads to better decisions, and better decisions lead to a more profitable and sustainable future for agriculture.
Don't miss your Spot for the Amphacademy 2025!
With its innovative technology, Amphasys has revolutionized the seed industry and pollen quality has transitioned from an ignored to a core element of agricultural success.
Don’t ignore this critical aspect of reproduction anymore and apply pollen quality analysis for successful breeding and seed production strategies. Understanding pollen quality is essential for the future of global food production.
