Plant Protection Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu, Successfully Hosts 2025 International Seminar
Bengkulu, 1 May 2025 – The Plant Protection Study Program of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu, successfully convened the International Seminar of Plant Protection 2025, themed “Biodiversity for Sustainable Agriculture.” The event was held in a hybrid format—onsite and via Zoom—and resulted from a collaborative partnership with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
The seminar was formally inaugurated by the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Mochamad Lutfi Firdaus, S.Si., M.T., and preceded by welcoming remarks from the Chair of the Organizing Committee, Prof. Agustin Zarkani, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D. The event was also attended by the Vice Deans of the Faculty of Agriculture, heads of study programs within the faculty, and representatives from the Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Agency (BKHIT).
Two faculty members of the Plant Protection Program moderated academic discussions, Dr. Hendri Bustamam and Prof. Dwinardi Apriyanto. The keynote session featured six distinguished speakers from Indonesia, Australia, and Turkey:
- Prof. Siti Subandiyah (Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia) – Introduction to the ACIAR Project on HLB
- Dr. Nerida Donovan (New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Australia) – Managing Citrus Biosecurity Threats
- Dr. Mimi Sutrawati (University of Bengkulu, Indonesia) – Viruses Infecting Citrus
- Dr. Tahir Khurshid (NSW DPI, Australia) – Nursery Production Systems for Citrus
- Dr. Meena Thakur (NSW DPI, Australia) – Integrated Pest Management of Citrus Crops
- Prof. M.B. Kaydan (Cukurova University, Turkey) – Mealybugs on Citrus and Their Management
The afternoon session continued with parallel paper presentations involving 100 presenters from 21 institutions, organized into eight breakout rooms. This seminar further affirms the Plant Protection Program’s role as a key academic actor in facilitating international-scale scholarly activities. It underscores the Faculty of Agriculture’s steadfast commitment to advancing biodiversity-based sustainable agriculture.
