The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), together with the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), concluded the Advanced Training in Plant Health: From Field Surveillance to Molecular Technologies with a cocktail dinner on Friday, June 26, 2026, at the Harjono Danoesastro Auditorium, UGM. The closing event fostered a warm atmosphere of togetherness, enriched by cultural nuances as participants wore traditional attire from their respective regions.

The evening opened with a performance of the Tari Pendet dance by Prof. Ani Widiastuti and Ni Made Saveita Rajman, S.P., M.Sc., symbolizing cross-cultural unity. Traditional culinary delights added depth to the experience, including the Keraton Yogyakarta specialty Sangga Buana (Songgo Buwono), known for its philosophical meaning. read more

The Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), together with the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), officially concluded the Advanced Training in Plant Health: From Field Surveillance to Molecular Technologies on Friday, June 26, 2026. The final day highlighted crucial topics on Seed Health and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), before closing with evaluation sessions and certificate presentations.

The first session, Seed Health & Diagnostics for Seed Systems, was delivered by Dr. Ram Khadka, Dr. Lourena Maxwell (WorldVeg), and Prof. Ani Widiastuti (UGM). The lecture emphasized the importance of detecting seed-borne pathogens and implementing seed health testing as a foundation for quality assurance in horticultural seed production. Participants then engaged in hands-on practice on seed health testing and disinfection techniques, facilitated by Dr. Khadka and Prof. Widiastuti. read more

The fourth day of the Advanced Training in Plant Health: From Field Surveillance to Molecular Technologies, organized by the Faculty of Agriculture (Faperta) UGM in collaboration with the World Vegetable Center, was held on Thursday, June 25, 2026. This session focused on Breeding & Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS), highlighting the crucial role of disease diagnostics in supporting decision-making for breeding disease-resistant crops, particularly chili.

The program began with a lecture by Dr. Derek Barchenger (WorldVeg) on the linkage between disease diagnostics and breeding pipelines. He explained the role of resistance genes, trait selection, and target disease profiles in chili breeding. This was followed by a lecture on MAS and genotyping approaches, emphasizing the use of molecular markers such as SNPs and SSRs, marker validation, and selection strategies in breeding programs. read more