On May 31, 2023, students from the Department of Plant Pests and Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University (FAPERTA Unpad) carried out a company visit to two important institutions in the field of plant protection, namely Syngenta and the Center for Forecasting Plant Pests (BBPOPT). This activity aims to broaden students’ horizons regarding sustainable plant protection practices and pest and disease control in a scientific and modern manner. This program is an annual work program of the Plant Clinic student association.
The first visit was to Syngenta, a global agribusiness company with a focus on seeds and crop protection. Here, students are given the opportunity to get to know Syngenta’s innovative products more closely, as well as how the company develops environmentally friendly and sustainable crop protection technologies.
Students also get direct exposure from experts about the process of developing plant protection products, from research to applications in the field. In addition, they were invited to discuss the challenges facing the crop protection industry today, including the issue of pest resistance and climate change.
After visiting Syngenta, the group of students continued their visit to the Plant Pest Organism Forecasting Center (BBPOPT), a government institution responsible for monitoring and controlling plant pests and diseases in Indonesia. At BBPOPT, students are invited to understand more deeply about the vital role of this institution in ensuring food security through effective pest and disease control.
During the visit, students were introduced to the latest technologies and methods in pest monitoring, as well as mitigation strategies applied in the field. They also had the opportunity to see firsthand the BBPOPT laboratory used for pest attack research and forecasting. With this activity, it is hoped that cooperation between academics, industry, and the government can continue to be improved to realize more advanced and sustainable agriculture in Indonesia.
