FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date Posted: March 25, 2026

Bremen, Germany - Jassids, bollworms, and mites, oh my!

The second day of the 83rd ICAC Plenary Meeting, held March 23-24 in Bremen, Germany, featured one of the staples of the annual conference: the Technical Seminar. The theme this year was, "Deep Learning and Sensor Technologies for Automated Detection and Monitoring of Cotton Diseases and Insect Pests."

Pests and diseases might not be pleasant to think about, but they are virtually ubiquitous in cotton fields, so dealing with them is unavoidable. Fortunately, two of the world's top cotton scientists - 2025 ICAC Researcher of the Year Dr Charudatta Mayee (at left) and ICAC Chief Scientist Dr Keshav Kranthi (winner of the inaugural Researcher of the Year award in 2009) - offered some guidance on how to deal with the creepy crawlies during the Third Open Session, held from 9:00-10:30 am on March 24.

Among the many issues they discussed during the 90-minute session:

While the audience was completely engaged as they learned about the many new technologies available for managing pests and diseases, Dr Kranthi left them with one very important takeaway: As exciting as these new technologies might be, sensors, smart phones and drones cannot completely replace integrated pest management.

"These sophisticated tools are very helpful, but they really should be supporting IPM decisions, not replacing them," he said. "Technology will probably never be able replace a farmer's agronomic experience."

The ICAC's 83rd Plenary Meeting is scheduled for March 23-24, 2026, in Bremen, Germany. Held just before the International Cotton Conference Bremen, the theme of the Plenary is, "Uniting the Cotton and Textiles Value Chain for a Sustainable Future," reflecting the ICAC's mandate as the only international organization responsible for cotton - from the seed to the end-of-life for cotton products, and everything in-between.

About the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)
Formed in 1939, the ICAC is an association of cotton producing, consuming and trading countries. It acts as a catalyst for change by helping member countries maintain a healthy world cotton economy; provides transparency to the world cotton market by serving as a clearinghouse for technical information on cotton production; and serves as a forum for discussing cotton issues of international significance. In addition, members can take advantage of the ICAC's global network of cotton researchers, whose expertise covers the supply chain from farm to textile manufacturing, and have free access to its cutting-edge technologies like the voice-based app and virtual technology cotton training program. Committed to ensuring cotton's continued sustainability, the ICAC is the only intergovernmental commodity body covering cotton that is recognized by the United Nations. For more information, please visit www.icac.org, Twitter or LinkedIn