EduAsiaNews, Bogor – The Plant Protection Student Association (HIMASITA), in collaboration with the Farmer and Fisher Development Division of the Institute for Agromaritime Development and Innopreneurship Acceleration (LPA2I) at IPB University, organized the Plant Doctor Series #4 Webinar.
The webinar, titled “Preemptive Management of Rice Pests and Diseases to Prepare for the Upcoming Growing Season,” brought together lecturers, researchers, agricultural extension officers, practitioners, farmers, students, and various stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Handian Purwawangsa, Head of LPA2I IPB University, highlighted the growing challenges facing the agricultural sector due to climate change and increasingly unpredictable seasonal patterns. He emphasized that these conditions require a shift in the management of plant pests and diseases from a predominantly reactive approach to one that is more anticipatory and data-driven.
Meanwhile, Dr. Giyanto, Chair of the Department of Plant Protection at IPB University, stressed the importance of continuously promoting the concept of preemptive pest and disease management so that farmers can anticipate the risks of pest and disease outbreaks before they occur in the field.
The first speaker, Prof. Hermanu Triwidodo, Professor in the Department of Plant Protection at IPB University, explained that longer, hotter, and drier dry seasons could significantly increase the risk of outbreaks of major rice pests, including rice stem borers, brown planthoppers, rats, and migratory locusts. According to him, rising temperatures accelerate pest population growth, while the presence of natural enemies tends to decline.
“Effective pest and disease management does not begin when pests appear, but much earlier through preventive, containment, and suppression measures designed based on previous experience, data, and conditions from earlier growing seasons,” he explained.
Prof. Hermanu further emphasized that farmers play a central role in pest and disease management. Therefore, establishing healthy nurseries, utilizing biological control agents, conserving natural enemies, and implementing ecological engineering practices are essential strategies for preventing pest outbreaks in future planting seasons.
In the following session, Dr. Hagia Sophia Khairani, a lecturer in the Department of Plant Protection at IPB University, explained that climate change affects not only crops but also accelerates the adaptation of disease-causing pathogens. As a result, plant diseases, including rice blast disease, now exhibit different characteristics from those observed several decades ago.
“Pathogens have a greater capacity to adapt than plants. Therefore, disease management strategies must be continuously updated and cannot rely on the same approaches year after year,” she emphasized.
She also explained that the repeated use of fungicides containing the same active ingredients can accelerate the development of pathogen resistance. In addition, farmers should remain vigilant against emerging diseases, such as leaf spot caused by Nigrospora spp., whose symptoms often resemble rice blast disease but require different management strategies.
She therefore underscored that field sanitation, the selection of appropriate crop varieties, environmental monitoring, and the adoption of modern technologies are all essential components of a more effective disease management strategy.
Through this webinar, IPB University hopes to raise awareness among farmers, agricultural extension officers, students, and agricultural practitioners about the importance of preemptive pest and disease management. By fostering this understanding, Indonesia’s agricultural sector will be better prepared to address the challenges posed by climate change while safeguarding productivity and ensuring the sustainability of the nation’s food production.
