Welcome to Brassica2008

Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the Crucifer Genetics Co-operative, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences is pleased to invite scientists with an interest in horticultural brassicas and in crucifer genetics to participate in the Symposium Brassica2008.
 
Brassica vegetables are important crops in Norway, given that most brassicas are adapted to north climates. As a matter of fact, it is possible to grow at least one Brassica species in every county in Norway.  In the beginning, the long day lengths during Norwegian summers made it difficult to grow Chinese cabbage in Norway, but new varieties and new cultivation methods have solved this problem. Today, new Asian vegetables are being introduced to Norway.

New knowledge about bioactive substances with valuable health-related characteristics have made Brassicas among the most wholesome vegetables that grow on earth.  It will be an exciting challenge for scientists to convert this knowledge into practical varieties, so that the world can get Brassica vegetables with an optimal content of health related substances.

We are happy to invite you to the charming small Norwegian town Lillehammer which we think will be an excellent venue for this Symposium. For busy people who want to combine a Symposium with a visit to Norway, Lillehammer is an excellent choice. This beautiful town with typical Norwegian wooden houses is situated at the south end of the Gudbrandsdal Valley and north of Norway’s biggest Lake Mjøsa.   For those that are interested in Norwegian culture, Lillehammer and its surroundings provide several sites of interest. One example is the Sandvig Collection at Maihaugen, which is the largest open-air museum in Europe with scenes from rural life in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley such as churches, homes, farm yards and tools from the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. In the town centre you will find the Lillehammer Art Museum, which many argue is the Norway’s leading visual arts museum with significant works by Norwegian artists. You will also find the Norwegian Vehicle Museum, the Norwegian Olympic Museum and Bjerkebæk, the home of the famous Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset (1882-1949). Attractions outside of town include Hunderfossen Amusement Park and Aulestad, the home of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910), another famous Norwegian writer.

I look forward to seeing you in Norway and Lillehammer to attend the meeting.

Magnor Hansen
Chair of the Local organizing Committee of Brassica2008