Ulu Lepar, Pahang, 17–18 September – Efforts to strengthen knowledge and skills among local farming communities continue to be enhanced as Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Siti Izera Ismail, Head of the Climate-Smart Food Crop Production Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security (ITAFoS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), was invited as the keynote speaker in a Knowledge Transfer Programme titled “Understanding Symptoms and Disease Control Methods in Crops”. The two-day programme was held at Balai Raya Kampung Paya Rambutan, Ulu Lepar, Pahang.

The programme, jointly organised by the University Community Transformation Centre (UCTC), the School of Business and Economics (SPE), and Ambank under the i-TEKAD Ambank initiative, aimed to empower local communities with essential knowledge on identifying disease symptoms and implementing effective control strategies, particularly in fertigation systems for eggplant and chilli cultivation.

During her session, Dr. Siti Izera highlighted the importance of farmers being able to recognise early symptoms of plant diseases to ensure timely and effective control measures, thereby minimising yield losses. She emphasised that understanding the crop ecosystem and adopting science-based control techniques can significantly enhance productivity and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices within the community.

The programme also featured two other UPM experts: Dr. Syari Jamian, who delivered a talk titled “Agricultural Insects: Knowing Farm Allies and Pests”, and Associate Professor Dr. Norida Mazlan, who presented “Organic Insecticides”. Both sessions provided participants with insights into the role of insects in agricultural ecosystems and the use of organic control agents as environmentally friendly alternatives.

The initiative reflects UPM’s commitment to strengthening its engagement with the community through active involvement in knowledge and technology transfer supporting the nation’s aspiration towards a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector.

Knowledge transfer programme session titled 'Understanding Symptoms and Disease Control Methods in Crops' by Associate Professor Dr. Siti Izera.

Monitoring disease symptoms in an eggplant fertigation cultivation area.

Speakers with the farming community of Kampung Paya Rambutan, Ulu Lepar, Pahang.

Date of Input: 30/09/2025 | Updated: 30/09/2025 | s_hasimah