Plant diseases caused by fungi remain the primary factor limiting national food productivity. These microbial infections, commonly known as fungi, thrive in tropical regions and can drastically reduce crop yields; in some cases, they even lead to total crop failure.
Given their significant economic impact, the accuracy of identifying the cause of the disease is the most critical stage in the entire control strategy.
Recognizing this, the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, through the course “Advanced Techniques in Phytopathology,” held its 39th Guest Lecture.
The event featured Dr Nurholis, a staff member of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), who provided students with an indepth understanding of multilocus analysis in fungal identification, particularly for species complexes.
Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) is an identification method based on the analysis of DNA sequences from multiple genes simultaneously. Dr Nurholis explained that this method yields far more accurate results compared to conventional identification, which relies solely on morphological characteristics.
“In particular, for the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, MLSA is relied upon as a tool for rapid and accurate detection at border checkpoints to ensure that imported and exported commodities are free from harmful pathogens that could threaten national food security,” he said.
In addition to presenting the material, this alumnus of the IPB University Doctoral Program in Phytopathology also directly taught precision identification techniques using Colletotrichum spp. on citrus commodities, which hold high economic value in international trade. The training was enthusiastically attended by master’s and doctoral students in the Department of Plant Protection.
“This collaboration between the Master’s Program in Integrated Pest Management and the Indonesian Quarantine Agency underscores the importance of inter-institutional cooperation to share ideal approaches in pathogen identification,” said Prof Tri Asmira Damayanti, the course instructor.
Mastering these skills is a critical factor for students to be prepared to tackle plant protection challenges on the global stage after graduation.
Guest Lectures have been a regular program organized by the Department of Plant Protection for the past five years. Through this activity, it is hoped that students’ insights will deepen and that they can foster potential strategic research collaborations in the future. (*/Rz)
