RESEARCH COLLABORATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PROTECTION, FP UNIVERSITY OF BENGKULU WITH THE BRIN

Research Collaboration of the Department of Plant Protection, FP University of Bengkulu with the BRIN
On Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Department of Plant Protection FP UNIB received a visit from the banana research team from BRIN and Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University. This team was led by Nur Laili, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. (Research Center for Applied Microbiology, BRIN) with members namely Rini Riffiani, M.Si., Ph.D. (Research Center for Applied Microbiology, BRIN), Dr. Fajarudin Ahmad, S.Si., M.Si. (Center for Applied Botany Research, BRIN), Dr. Danang Ambar Prabowo (Center for Biosystematics and Evolution Research, BRIN), Mia Kusmiati, A.Md. (Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, BRIN), and Dr. Nani Maryani, M.Sc. (Department of Biology, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Banten). This team will explore diseases in bananas in Bengkulu, including the island of Enggano, as the outermost island. This team will also collect wild banana germplasm in Bengkulu, especially in Rejang Lebong Regency.
According to Dr. Fajarudin Ahmad, in Bengkulu it is likely that many types of wild bananas will be obtained that have the potential to become the elders of the source of resistance to important banana diseases. The wild bananas found will also be collected in the experimental garden of the Department of Plant Protection so that they can then be used to screen for resistance to pathogens such as Fusarium, blood disease and Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV).
Dr. Mimi Sutrawati, who is currently conducting research with the IPB and UGM teams on the genetic diversity of BBTV Sumatra, welcomed this research collaboration plan in the future. Because BBTV is still an important problem and until now no source of resistance to BBTV has been found.

On the next day, the BRIN team met with the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Indra Cahyadinata, in the Meeting Room of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu. The Dean was accompanied by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Vice Dean for Resources was very supportive of the exploration of MoA or IA cooperation between the Faculty of Agriculture and BRIN for the implementation of MBKM and research collaboration and making the Applied Microbiology Research Center as the one of FP’s partners.