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04. March 2026

68th Maize Genetics Meeting in Cologne Successfully Concluded! 68th Maize Genetics Meeting in Cologne Successfully Concluded!

The 68th Maize Genetics Conference took place in Cologne from February 25 to March 1, 2026. 

Reunion of current and former lab members at the 68th Maize Genetics Meeting in Cologne.
Reunion of current and former lab members at the 68th Maize Genetics Meeting in Cologne. © Frank Hochholdinger
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The Maize Genetics Meeting was opened with welcome remarks from the local host, Prof. Dr. Frank Hochholdinger, who introduced the program and highlighted the importance of collaborative maize research.

The PhD students and postdocs of the CFG group presented scientific posters at the meeting: 

  • Dr. Xiaoming He presented his work with the title: Rhizosheath inhabiting Massilia are linked to heterosis in roots of maize.
  • Dr. Marion Pitz presented her work with the title: How well do GWAS methods perform on TWAS data?
  • Liuyang Chu presented her work with the title: Dissecting the boron deficiency response of maize roots using phenylboronic acid.
  • Cay Schäfer presented her work with the title: Maize development under boron-deficient conditions: Is the benzoxazinoid pathway a target for improvement?
  • Julia Brück and Felix Plotecki presented a joint poster with the title: Characterization of phenylboronic acid-responsive pathways in maize (Zea mays L.)
  • Annika Meyer presented her work with the title: Transcriptomic control of heterosis manifestation during lateral root initiation in maize.
  • Ling Gu presented her work with the title: Assembly and function of rhizosphere microbiome under drought stress during heterosis manifestation in maize.
  • Xuelian Du presented her work with the title: dizzy1 coordinates shoot and root development, stress responses and phytohormone signaling in maize.Xiaolin Lyu presented her work with the title: Evolutionary dynamics and co-adaptation of root traits and microbiome function in Poaceae drought tolerance.
  •  Mirai Inaoka presented her work with the title: Understanding genome changes that occur during selection in Triticum aestivum L.
  • Fanghe Jin presented her work with the title: Cold induced transcriptomic diversity in epidermis of maize different root types. 
  • Theo Nowak presented his work with the title: Characterization of roothairless 7 (rth7) in maize. 

On Saturday evening, participants gathered for the conference dinner at Brauhaus Früh and the CFG group additionally explored the city center of Cologne. 

The 68th Maize Genetics Meeting was opened with welcome remarks from the local host, Prof. Dr. Frank Hochholdinger, who introduced the program and highlighted the importance of collaborative maize research.
The 68th Maize Genetics Meeting was opened with welcome remarks from the local host, Prof. Dr. Frank Hochholdinger, who introduced the program and highlighted the importance of collaborative maize research. © Verena Bresgen
Members of the CFG group contributed to the on-site organization of the meeting, including coordination of the registration desk and general logistics throughout the event.
Members of the CFG group contributed to the on-site organization of the meeting, including coordination of the registration desk and general logistics throughout the event. © Helmut Rehkopf
Cay Schäfer presented her work with the title: Maize development under boron-deficient conditions: Is the benzoxazinoid pathway a target for improvement?
Cay Schäfer presented her work with the title: Maize development under boron-deficient conditions: Is the benzoxazinoid pathway a target for improvement? © Cay Schäfer
Julia Brück and Felix Plotecki presented a joint poster with the title: Characterization of phenylboronic acid-responsive pathways in maize (Zea mays L.)
Julia Brück and Felix Plotecki presented a joint poster with the title: Characterization of phenylboronic acid-responsive pathways in maize (Zea mays L.) © Cay Schäfer
On Saturday evening, participants gathered for the conference dinner at Brauhaus Früh and the CFG group additionally explored the city center of Cologne.
On Saturday evening, participants gathered for the conference dinner at Brauhaus Früh and the CFG group additionally explored the city center of Cologne. © Verena Bresgen