The Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, successfully held the National Webinar Buper Talk #13 on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, under the theme “Plant Seed Systems: The Key to Sustainable Farming Success.” The webinar was conducted online via Zoom and was attended by participants from various regions, representing academic institutions and agricultural practitioners across Indonesia.
The webinar featured two main speakers: Dr. Indah Anita Sari, S.P., M.Si., Head of the Research Division at the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (Puslitkoka), and Prof. Dr. Rudi Hari Murti, S.P., M.P., Professor of Horticultural Plant Breeding at the Department of Agronomy, UGM. The session was moderated by Dr. nat.techn. Rizky Pasthika Kirana, S.P., M.Sc.
Dr. Indah Anita Sari highlighted key challenges in coffee and cocoa development, including low productivity, declining soil fertility, and the impacts of climate change that intensify pest and disease pressures. She emphasized the importance of using legal, certified, and agroclimatically adaptive planting materials to ensure crop quality. The application of propagation technologies ranging from hybrid seeds, cuttings, and grafting to somatic embryogenesis was identified as a critical factor in supplying high-quality planting materials for farmers.
In the subsequent session, Prof. Rudi Hari Murti underscored the crucial role of superior horticultural seeds in meeting the growing demand for fruit and vegetable consumption. Plant disease challenges, such as Begomovirus in chili and tomato crops, demonstrate the urgency of developing resistant varieties through both conventional breeding and modern biotechnology approaches, including haploid induction, double haploid techniques, and the development of male-sterile lines. These innovations accelerate the development of hybrid varieties capable of adapting to climate change and extreme environmental conditions.
Through comprehensive discussions, the webinar reaffirmed that the success of sustainable farming depends on the integration of superior seeds, suitable environments, and enhanced farmer capacity. Buper Talk #13 also contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), by strengthening seed systems, increasing agricultural productivity, and promoting adaptation to environmental challenges in the agricultural sector.
Author: Mareta Aulia Putri
Editor: Yudha Pria Wibawa
Photo: Department of Agronomy