ISHS: Worldwide Horticultural Network

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 Country/Region members.

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.

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, 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 about 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 30+ 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 made available to all participants, attending symposia, sold separately to all interested, 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) is the official peer reviewed journal of the ISHS, published by CABI on behalf of the ISHS. It is an open access journal publishing 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. The journal’s scope covers both applied and fundamental aspects of the entire food value chain, including plant breeding, production, processing, trading and retailing of horticultural crops and commodities grown in temperate, Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical climates. ISHS members benefit from a discounted Article Publishing Charge (APC).

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 and publishes horticultural articles of interest to a broad audience.

A major benefit of ISHS membership is the opportunity to attend the International Horticultural Congress (IHC) every four years at a discounted rate. Generally, these congresses attract around 3,000 delegates. They are carefully planned over many years to address all areas of horticultural science. The Congress provides opportunities for individuals to present either posters or to make oral presentations on their current research work, sharing the results with a wide audience. There are numerous social gatherings, sight-seeing opportunities, and the chance to see local horticultural industries during specialized field trips.

ISHS also organises three regional symposia: the All Africa Horticultural Congress, the Asian Horticultural Congress and the European Horticultural Congress. These too are generally held every four years between the International Horticultural Congresses.

Joining ISHS

If you have not joined, now is your opportunity !
More details on ISHS membership, including an online application form at: https://ishs.org/members/