PENANG, 17 October 2016 - The 4th Asian Conference on Plant-Microbe Symbiosis and Nitrogen Fixation (APMNF 2016) which kicked off today has gathered fellow researchers, practitioners and students, and providing an ideal opportunity to present and discuss the current findings and scientific exchange in the field of agriculture.

According to the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dato' Dr. Muhamad Jantan, in Malaysia, a nation in which agriculture plays an important part of the economy, issues such as the crop yield remaining stagnant, pesticides polluting the ecosystems, increasing cost of fertilizers, reduction in soil fertility, imbalance in host-parasite and predator-parasite relationship have pushed agriculture into a precarious mode.

"Scientists have depended on various technologies and used them intensely to increase the crop yield, and in recent years the concept of sustainable agriculture has developed in order to ensure that our agro ecosystems are stabilized and sustained crop yields are assured on a long term basis," said Muhamad in representing the USM Vice-Chancellor.

In addition, Muhamad said that sustainable agriculture is important to satisfy the changing human needs, while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment and conserving natural resources.

"Protecting our environment and maintaining a sustainable agriculture is an absolute necessity for all of us today, and leaders in this field need to have the vision, the knowledge and the experience to help each other pave our way into the future," he explained further.

Meanwhile, according to the Chairman of 4th APMNF, Professor Dr. Mohd Nazalan Mohd Najimudin, this year’s theme "Advancing Plant Microbe Symbiosis and Nitrogen Fixation for Sustainable Agriculture" will offer a perfect occasion to gather all the findings and viewpoints, in order to create a sustainable global community, chiefly in the area of agricultural science.

"To all the young participants, prepare to be challenged, excited and aspired by the renowned speakers of this conference and use the knowledge gained to enhance the productivity in this field," he said.

Nazalan also hoped that this occasion will present an in-depth coverage of recent advances in this exciting field, in an informal setting designed for maximum interaction.

This 3-day conference sees the involvement of some 70 participants from 9 countries, namely France, Japan, Germany, China, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and Malaysia.

 

Also present were the Dean of the USM School of Biological Sciences, Professor Dr. Amirul Al-Ashraf Abdullah and keynote speaker Professor Dr. Kiwamu Minamisawa from the Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan.

Text: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah / Photo: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa