Byoung Ryong JEONG, Professor Emeritus, obtained his BS (Gyeongsang National Univ., GNU) and M.S. (Seoul National Univ.) degrees in Republic of Korea, and his Ph.D. in Horticulture in 1990 from Colorado State Univ., USA on a topic of nitrogen nutrition in bedding plants. He had postdoctoral training on 1) water relations in plants at Univ. of Missouri-Columbia, USA and 2) environmental control for plant production at Faculty of Horticulture, Chiba Univ., Japan. Since 1992, he has been affiliated with Dept. of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, GNU, Korea, where he once served as the department chairperson and the dean of the college. During his tenure at the GNU, he also worked as a visiting professor at the Environmental Horticulture Dept., University of California-Davis and a Research Professor at the Plant and Environmental Science Dept., Clemson University. His current job includes teaching in the Smart Agriculture Study Program at IPB University in Indonesia. His fields of specialty are controlled environment agriculture (CEA), and his research interest and topics include, but not limited to, organogenic and embryogenic micropropagation, and propagation, transplant (micropropagated and plugs) production and hydroponic culture of floricultural, medicinal and rare/endangered plants in CEA such as the greenhouse and plant factory systems; lighting technology in horticulture for control of flowering and photomorphogenesis; silicon nutrition in horticultural crops; and use of plants for removal of fine dust in the air. He has published more than more than 500 research papers, and books and book chapters, 30 patents, and 50 research reports. He has more than 700 abstracts presented during various scientific society meetings such as ASHS, ISHS, & KSHS, more than 260 education/training articles for horticultural growers, teachers etc. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=ko&user=vSvVOdUAAAAJ; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Byoung-Ryong-Jeong-2/stats). He was honored to be recognized by Highly Ranked Scholars™ with ScholarGPS™ Ranks of 0.05% or better in 2024 (https://scholargps.com/scholars/79620010545477/byoung-ryong-jeong; https://scholargps.com/scholars/79620010545477/byoung-ryong-jeong?e_ref=e1a4fafc641e04c639c3). He has been an academic adviser for 21 post-doctoral fellows, and 31 PhD and 63 MS students, and also has served on dissertation committees for 74 Ph.D. and 87 M.S. degree students including 6 from India, 7 Malaysia, and 1 Pakistan. He also served as the president of several scientific societies and editor-in-chief for several international journals, including Horticulture, Environment and Biotechnology published by the Korean Society for Horticultural Science, Frontiers in Plant Science, and International J. of Molecular Science.

Speech title "Use of Edible and Ornamental Horticultural Plants for Improving Quality of Our Modern Living"

Abstract-Plants, although immobile, have ability to adapt to diverse surroundings, and are intelligent to have the ability to move in response to a given situation. In this process, they produce very diverse metabolites and products which can be utilized for many purposes in human lives. Plants are important in our living, since they are sources of food and pharmaceuticals, provide people a way to establish their shelters and aesthetic beauty, purify the air by removing CO2 and particulate matters, and are significant factors in stress reduction in humans. In addition, plants prevent erosion and provide habitat and cover for animals in the wild, and are an integral part of wetland purification of water. Recently plants are also recognized as a factor for promotion of our physical, mental, and social health. Horticulture deals with various plants used not only as food such as vegetables and fruits, but also as ornamentals as flowers, lawn, and many herbaceous and woody garden and indoor plants. Consumption of such edible horticultural crops as vegetables and fruits, which are sources of vitamins, minerals and many functional metabolites, reduces heart disease and neutralizes free radicals involved in aging and some forms of cancers in our bodies. Many of our pharmaceuticals such as aspirin and taxol come from the plants also. Ornamental plants contribute for reduction of various types of human stress. Plants in urban areas contribute to remove particulate matter in the atmosphere and also to purify the air of the populated areas. Plants placed in areas where people congrgate helps people to cope with the dark days, and the production and use of indoor plants have become a big industry worldwide. The plants are necessary for our very survival and environment, and as ornaments.