During his visit to several universities and research institutions in Japan from May 23 to 27, 2023, Dede Djuhana, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), attended the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Meeting of the SATREPS Project at Koryuto Hall, RIKEN Yokohama, on Thursday, May 25, 2023. This was the first in-person event after two years of virtual sessions.
The meeting was coordinated by RIKEN Yokohama, led by Minami Matsui, D.Sci., Group Director of CSRS RIKEN and also the 3rd chairperson of the event.rd JCC Meeting-Short Training Visiting and SATREPS Project Manager.
The event, officially opened by Dr. Kyoko Watanabe (Tamagawa University) and Prof. Toshiaki Umezawa (Kyoto University) in the afternoon, was held to discuss the progress of research collaborations between the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (UI), the Japanese research institutions Riken Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), Riken Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), and the Indonesia Rubber Research Institute (IRRI). The goal of the collaboration is to develop technology to prevent and control leaf fall disease. Pestalotiopsis on rubber trees, through the SATREPS project (Science & Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development), with funding support from the International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
The collaborative activities include the development of new fungicide candidate compounds for rubber tree leaf fall disease (both chemical and biological), the creation of new clones Hevea brasiliensis which demonstrates resistance to leaf fall disease through genomic and transcriptomic approaches, development of a detection system for areas affected by leaf fall disease with imaging analysis Artificial Intelligent (AI) uses data obtained from satellites,drone, serta leaves data images to strengthening the basis for research and development and practical application of relevant and long-term technologies.
JICA’s funding support is to facilitate research activities between Indonesian and Japanese researchers involved in the project, with a five-year project period. This research collaboration involves a team of lecturers, researchers, and students from the Department of Biology, the Department of Geography, the Department of Mathematics, and the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute (IRRI).
In his remarks, the Dean stated, “The development of rubber plantations in Indonesia is very rapid. Rubber is one of the plantation commodities that plays a very important role. Increasing rubber plant productivity is very necessary to support the national economy. Unfortunately, the attack of rubber leaf fall epidemics has affected the growth of rubber trees and reduced rubber production and quality. Therefore, joint research activities on leaf fall disease are very important to be carried out properly. With the collaboration between Riken, FMIPA UI, IRRI and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, we hope to have a positive impact on the sustainability of rubber plants in Indonesia.”
The rubber leaf fall outbreak itself, the Dean continued, is known to have emerged around 2017 and caused a 40% decline in national rubber production. Therefore, Pestalotiopsis Leaf Fall Disease (LFD) has become a serious issue for the sustainability of rubber plantations in Indonesia.
The Dean also presented several achievements from joint research activities to combat the rubber leaf fall outbreak. These include the discovery of new fungicide candidate components and microbes as biofungicides, genomic and transcriptomic analysis for the development of new rubber plant clones, and AI imaging analysis of rubber plantations utilizing data obtained from satellites and drones.
From May 15-24, 2023, there were 4 (four) representatives from FMIPA UI, namely Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., Sanya Khaerunnisa S.Si. from the Department of Biology, Dr.Eng. Masita Dwi Mandini Manessa, S.Si. M.Si., M.Eng. from the Department of Geography, and Devvi Sarwinda, S.Si., M.Kom. from the Department of Mathematics, who have joined as participants in the Short-Visiting Training Program at RIKEN Yokohama, RIKEN Wako, and Gifu University along with 5 (five) representatives from the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute (IRRI), namely Dr. Suroso Rahutomo (Director of IRRI), Dr. Tri Rapani Febbiyanti, Dr. Fetrina Oktavia, Alchemi Putri Juliantika Kusdiana, S.P., M.Si. and Charlos Togi Stevanus, S.P.
In addition to providing a strengthening basis for research and development as well as practical application of relevant and long-term technology by expertise researcher from Japan, namely Minami Matsui, D.Sci. as Group Director of CSRS RIKEN and also the chair of the 3rd implementing committeerd JCC Meeting, Dr. Yuko Makita, Kiwamu Kase, D.Eng, Dr. Yuki Yanagawa, Dr. Wen Dee Ong, Dr. Hidehumi Hamasaki, Dr. Tomoko Kuriyama, Associate Prof. Masafumi Shimizu, Prof. Yoshiharu Yamamoto, Dr. Stephany Angelia, and Dr. Syafaah Afdholiatus, training participants and JCC Meeting participants also visited the Yokohama Rubber Factory to see the rubber processing and tire production process, as well as discussions about the impact of this project on the rubber industry in Japan as a rubber importing country.
The FMIPA UI delegation who attended this meeting were Dr. Tito Latif Indra (Vice Dean for Resources, Ventures, and General Administration), Anom Bowolaksono, Ph.D. (Head of the Department of Biology), Prof. Alhadi Bustamam, M.Kom., Ph.D. (Head of the Department of Mathematics), Iqbal Putut Ash Shidiq, M.Sc., Ph.D. (Head of the Undergraduate Study Program in Geography). ), Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si. (Lecturer in the Department of Biology and SATREPS Project Coordinator from UI), Dr. Eng. Masita Dwi Mandini Manessa, S.Si., M.Si., M.Eng. from the Department of Geography, and Devvi Sarwinda, S.Si., M.Kom. from the Department of Mathematics
In addition to the FMIPA UI delegation, other representatives from the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute (IRRI) were also present, namely Dr. Tri Rapani Febbiyanti (Senior Researcher as the SATREPS Project Coordinator from IRRI), Dr. Thomas Wijaya, M.Agr.Sc. (SATREPS Project Advisor), Dr. Radite Tistama, M.Sc. (Senior Researcher), Dr. Fetrina Oktavia (Senior Researcher), and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, namely Dr. Ir. Hendratmojo Bagus Hudoro, M.Sc. and Farriza Diyasti, SP., M.Si, as well as representatives of JICA Indonesia, namely Mr. Satoru Mitani, Dr. Safendrri Komara Ragamustari, and Sheny Marliana, S.S.
Also present from Gifu University were Prof. Yoshiharu Yamamoto, Associate Prof. Masafumi Shimizu, who is a lecturer and researcher, as well as Dr. Stephany Angelia, and Dr. Syafaah Afdholiatus, doctoral students.
