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

“Golden,” the viral soundtrack from Netflix’s KPOP Demon Hunters, beautifully captures the richness of Korean culture. Interestingly, that song became the perfect soundtrack for Hanif Falah Nasrulloh’s own journey in South Korea. What once started as countless hours listening to Kpop songs and admiring Korea from a screen eventually became reality through an academic exchange at Gyeongsang National University (GNU) in Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea.

Hanif, an Agronomy student from the 2023 batch at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has always been passionate about pursuing international opportunities. Among many international programs, the Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) Program had always been at the top of the wishlist. Through UGM’s selection process, Hanif was finally chosen to spend one semester at GNU from March to June 2026, during the sixth semester as an ideal period when students could choose an international exposure program over internship. This period is also joined by four IPB University students and three University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) students. read more

The third 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, took place on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. This session provided an in-depth focus on Molecular Diagnostics & Bioinformatics, introducing participants to cutting-edge molecular diagnostic technologies alongside bioinformatics practices that form a crucial foundation for plant disease research. read more