On May 14 to 19, 2023, the 25th International Grassland Congress was held in Covington, Kentucky, the United States. Over 600 participants from 15 countries attended the congress, including scientific and technological researchers in grassland science, government officials, farm and pasture owners, related enterprises, and farmers and herdsmen. Professor He Jinsheng of State Key Laboratory of Grass Seed Innovation and Grassland Agro-ecosystems was invited to the congress and gave a keynote speech on “Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under climate change and grazing in alpine grasslands”. The speech discussed current research progress and future directions from aspects of grassland differences in China and the US, challenges brought by climate change and human activities, the important role of biodiversity in maintaining grassland versatility and multi-functions, and near-natural restoration of degraded grasslands ,etc.

Keynote speech of the Congress

Before and during the congress, Professor He joined grassland investigation in the Central Great Plains of the US. He inspected different types of grasslands, farms and ranches of different scales and the USDA agricultural experiment stations, including coastal dune grassland, tall grass grassland, tall and short grass mixed grassland. He too visited the experiment farms and ranches of the of the University of Kentucky and learned about the USDA global change experiment, no-tillage grass cultivation experiment, beef cattle and sheep production system, racing horse breeding and cultivation etc. He exchanged extensively with extension professors and experts of related technologies at Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University, University of Kentucky, and USDA agricultural experiment stations, in order to understand the main types of grassland in the US, grassland management status, and combination of production, education and research between ranches and agricultural and animal husbandry research institutes.

Meanwhile, as the Associate Editor of Grassland Research, Professor He actively promoted the journal by introducing it to the attendees at the end of the congress presentation, contacting the attending editorial board members and organizing and participating in editorial board symposium.

At the Central Plains Agricultural Research Center experiment site in Fort Reno

At Chuck Coffey Ranch, the ranch and the power company jointly exploit wind to generate electricity

Hillingdon Ranch, a family-run mountain ranch for Angus cattle

Warming experiments on the grassland of the University of Kentucky

Clover and tall fescue mixed hay products developed at the University of Kentucky

At the Central Plains Agricultural Research Center in Fort Reno