The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), in collaboration with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), officially opened the first day of the ACIAR HORT/2019/164 research project symposium titled “Preparedness and Management of Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening Disease) to Safeguard the Future of Citrus Industry in Australia, China and Indonesia” on Monday, April 20, 2026. This activity is an important step in efforts to maintain the sustainability of the citrus industry in the three countries through research and education cooperation.
The event opened with a welcome address from the faculty leadership, represented by Prof. Subejo S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., as the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation. This was followed by remarks from Prof. Suherman, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., as the Secretary of the Directorate of Partnerships and Global Relations UGM, who emphasized the commitment of both institutions to strengthen cross-country research cooperation. An introduction was then provided by Dr. Meena Thakur (Australia, Project Leader) and Prof. Dr. Ir. Siti Subandiyah, M.Agr.Sc. (Indonesia, Project Leader), explaining the project’s background and the strategic goals of this joint research.
The first session of Panel 1 featured several speakers highlighting the serious challenges of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which has been reported to hinder citrus production in various countries, including Indonesia. This session was moderated by Prof. Ir. Y. Andi Trisyono, M.Sc., Ph.D. from the Department of Plant Protection, who facilitated the Q&A and strengthened the interaction between speakers and participants.
Intan Muliani Fajarsari, S.TP., M.Agr.Sc. from the Directorate of Fruits and Floriculture opened the discussion with a presentation on policies and future development directions for national citrus production. She emphasized the need for an integrated strategy between the government, academics, and farmers to face this disease threat.
This was followed by Dr. Nerida Donovan (NSW DPIRD, Australia), who explained the mechanism of how HLB can kill citrus trees, and Dr. Meena Thakur (NSW DPIRD), who presented the life cycle of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) vector and its distribution factors. Meanwhile, Alan Soffan, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, presented study results regarding innovative ACP traps and repellents as part of the control strategy.
This activity contributes to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate action, SDG 15: Life on land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals.
Writer: Beny Nabila Happy Fauziah
Editor: Tantriani
Documentation: Media Unit, Faculty of Agriculture UGM