Farewell Message as EWRS President

Dear Colleague,

This is my last message as EWRS President, as the Presidency lasts two years and my term will end in December.

These two years have passed quickly, and many important events have taken place. I am truly honoured to have served the Society during such intense and significant period. I would like to briefly recall some of these achievements and, above all, express my gratitude to all members who actively contributed to the success of our initiatives and the progress we have made. Please excuse me if this message is longer than expected. 

One of the most important initiatives was the deep reorganization of the Society, which included both planned and new actions. We completed the scheduled changes to the Board, starting with the election of the new Vice-President, Ilias Travlos, who will now serve as President for the next two years, as well as the Secretary, Lena Ulber, and the Treasurer, Roland Beffa, both serving four-year terms. More recently, in November, we held another round of elections, resulting in the renewal of the Board with Husrev Mennan as the new Vice-President (two-year term) and Lynn Tatnell as the new Scientific Secretary (four-year term). We also welcomed new elected additional members: Silvia Fogliatto and Milena Simić in the first round, and Rebecka Dücker and Zahra Bitarafan in the most recent election. These members, who contribute to the composition of the Society’s Board, will serve for four years. 

Furthermore, we reorganized our Working Groups—currently ten—with several new Coordinators and Deputies. Many initiatives and meetings have already been planned for the coming year, which will be crucial for EWRS as it is a transition year between two Symposia. Please check the relevant pages on our website for updates. 

Several service contracts have been revised, and the financial management of the Society has been improved, making administrative costs more sustainable. This will help maintain the economic stability of the Society, which is essential for its long-term survival. 

Another important initiative was the launch of the “travel grants for bilateral cooperation,” aimed at supporting young researchers. This program, which began in 2024, funds visits to European research institutes to start or complete research activities or acquire specific skills. After the success of the first edition, the program was strengthened this year and will continue in the future, with the goal of becoming a key activity for students and fostering collaboration among members and institutions. 

As you can imagine, much effort was dedicated to organizing our 20th Symposium, a particularly significant event as it also celebrated the 50th anniversary of our Society. With over 300 participants and an impressive number of submitted abstracts, the event was a great success and gave excellent visibility to weed science.

I would like to thank all those involved in organizing this event: the Scientific Secretary, supported by the Vice-President; the Session Organizers, who managed the large volume of abstracts; the Treasurer, who oversaw financial aspects; the Communication Team, working closely with the Secretary, the Event Manager, and the Board; the sponsors; and, in particular, Prof. Jordi Recasens and his exceptional local team, supported by the University of Lleida, the Fundación Universitat de Lleida, and Agrotecnio. Finally, thanks to all participants, who made the event scientifically and socially successful, with 18 sessions, over 100 oral presentations, and more than 200 posters. 

As planned, the next EWRS Symposium will be held in 2027. The chosen place is Uppsala (Sweden), and the agreed date is from 29 June-2 July 2027. The local organizer will be Alexander Menegat and his team. As the time is quite short - less than 1.5 years from now, the Board has already visited the venue and met the local organizers to ensure smooth planning. The venue is excellent, the city is welcoming, and the local committee is enthusiastic - everything suggests another successful event. Moreover, in June in Sweden offers long days - more time for networking and sharing ideas! 

Significant progress has also been made in digitizing historical documents previously preserved by the Heritage Committee. All past symposium proceedings and newsletters (printed until 1999) will soon be available in electronic format. Preserving EWRS material is not only about safeguarding history but also providing future generations with valuable insights into the evolution of weed research.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Society’s foundation, celebrated during the Symposium. A commemorative video featuring interviews with past Presidents was posted on our website and social media, along with a speech by Prof. César Fernández Quintanilla on EWRS history and developments in weed science.  

A special mention goes to our Journal, Weed Research, which remains the main source of income for EWRS and is crucial for both weed science and the Society’s sustainability. Its Impact Factor has recently increased to 2.2, improving its ranking among agronomy and plant science journals.

Several initiatives have been launched to support the Journal. Wiley, our publisher, has introduced a new system to improve submission, review, and publication processes. Although the Journal remains hybrid, more opportunities for free Open Access publication will be available through Wiley’s agreements with research institutions worldwide.

We have launched a Special Issue of Weed Research following the Lleida Symposium and plan another for Uppsala, along with other thematic issues. Please consider submitting your work to Weed Research, as this will greatly support the Society. A task force has been created to assist the Editor-in-Chief in recruiting high-quality articles and reviews. We also plan to involve more Subject Editors to cover additional scientific fields. If you have suggestions or wish to volunteer as a Subject Editor, please contact the Editor-in-Chief.

To conclude, I wish to encourage a stronger involvement of young weed scientists in the Society’s activities: joining our boards, proposing new initiatives, and connecting with other research groups. Advances in many research fields, along with a growing emphasis on sustainability, are opening exciting new research directions. The younger generation is uniquely positioned to bring these innovations into the Society’s focus and help make EWRS the glue that binds together all scientists interested in the diverse facets of weed science.

Moreover, in a time marked by war and social unrest, I believe it is more important than ever for the scientific community to stand as a model of collaboration, inclusion, and mutual respect, transcending all forms of discrimination.

For the upcoming holidays, I wish you and your loved ones peace, respect, happiness, and tolerance—whether you celebrate Christmas, the New Year, or any other religious or civil occasion.

With my warmest greetings,

The (almost past) President

Maurizio Vurro

 

December 19th, 2025