A total of 18 researchers from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI), and the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute (IRRI) participated in a Short Visiting Course in Japan from July 21 to August 1, 2025. This activity is part of the international SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) research project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The program, titled “Short-Visiting Course of Indonesia-Japan SATREPS Project for Development of Complex Technologies for Prevention and Control of Rubber Tree Leaf Fall Diseases”, was led by Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., from the Department of Biology, FMIPA. UI[RL1]   and Dr. Suroso Rahutomo from IRRI. The main focus of this activity was to strengthen the research capacity of Indonesian researchers in tackling Pestalotiopsis Leaf Fall Disease (PGDP), one of the plant diseases that significantly impacts the productivity of national rubber plantations.

“We hope this collaboration can accelerate the development of practical and sustainable plant disease control technologies,” said Dr. Retno. She also highlighted several challenges in rubber plant disease research, particularly regarding the complexity of pathogens, limited access to advanced laboratories in the country, and the need for cross-disciplinary integration. “Our main challenge is to build a research ecosystem capable of addressing field problems scientifically and using advanced technology,” she added.

During their stay in Japan, the researchers visited several leading research institutions, such as the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), Kazusa DNA Research Institute (KDRI), National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). They also attended a public lecture on plant pathogen identification at Tamagawa University with Prof. Kyoko Watanabe.

Starting on July 25, participants were divided into two groups. Group A visited various institutions and industries, including Kyoto University, RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), RIKEN Wako, the Spring-8 & SACLA research facilities, as well as companies Bridgestone and Nikka R&E. Meanwhile, Group B attended intensive laboratory training at Gifu University on isolation techniques and biocontrol applications for PGDP.

One of the participants, Achmad Eka Satria from FMIPA UI, expressed his appreciation for the program. “This training is very insightful and meaningful, especially for those of us focusing on plant pathology research,” he said.

The program concluded with an official visit to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Tokyo. The researchers were welcomed by the Education Attaché and the Agricultural Attaché. During the meeting, SATREPS Project Director Dr. Minami Matsui, together with Dr. Retno Lestari, presented the research achievements from nearly four years of collaboration.

Some of the achievements include the identification of candidate components for new fungicides, the development of microbe-based biofungicides, genomic and transcriptomic analysis of superior rubber tree clones, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for satellite and drone image analysis in rubber plantation monitoring. The program was officially concluded at JICA’s headquarters in Takebashi, Tokyo, with the presentation of the final report and the distribution of certificates to all participants.

The participants from FMIPA UI included Dr. Retno Lestari, Prof. Alhadi Bustamam, and Dr. Masita Dwi Mandini Manessa, Iqbal Putut Ash Shidiq, Ph.D., Dr. Ratna Yuniati, Dr. Windri Handayani, Devvi Sarwinda, S.Si., M.Kom., Farriza Diyasti, SP., M.Si., Achmad Eka Satria, S.Si., Tsabitah Siti Rahma, B.Sc., Hardianti Ekaputri, S.Si., dan Fajar Dwi Pamungkas, S.Si.

Meanwhile, the delegation from IRRI consisted of Dr. Suroso Rahutomo, Dr. Tri Rafani Febbiyanti, Dr. Fetrina Oktavia, Dr. Lina Fatayati Syarifa, Dewi Nursetyandari, SP., and Hetty Aprianti. The activity also involved direct participation from Mitani Satoru and Sheny Marliana from JICA in Indonesia.