Agriculture Technology Seminar Series 24:
Harnessing the Power of Nature: Embracing Organic Agriculture for a Sustainable Future
Venue : Zoom Meetings
Date: 19 April 2024
Details of the event.
Agritech 25: Group photo taken with distinguished speakers, sponsors, staff, students and members of the public. First row (from left to right): Dato' Lai Yeng Fock (Founder and CEO of Tadom Hill Resort Sdn. Bhd. and Vice President of Malaysian Bamboo Society, MBS), En. Mohd. Ramadhan Abdul Hamid (Founder of Bamboo Village Kuala Lumpur), Prof. Dr. Sumathi a/p Sethupathi (Deputy Director of IPSR), Dr. Goh Wei Lim (Chairperson of Agritech 25), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng (Dean of Faculty of Science, UTAR), Dato' Dr. Hajjah Marzalina Hj. Mansor (Lifetime Advisor of MBS) and Dr. Elizabeth A. Widjaja (Bamboo Botanist of the Environmental Bamboo Foundation, Indonesia)
The event was kickstarted with a welcoming speech from Dr. Goh Wei Lim, chairperson of the event, who also highlighted the importance of bamboo as a green and sustainable resource, echoing the calls for environmental protection. She also thanked the distinguished speakers and generous sponsors for their help in making the event a success.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi a/p Sethupathi (Deputy Director of IPSR UTAR) advocating the use of bamboo as a reliable and sustainable alternative material moving forward. She also shared her experience in witnessing the vast demand and utilization of bamboo in China, which is currently the largest producer and user of bamboo worldwide.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi presenting a token of appreciation to FGV Agri Services Sdn. Bhd., a platinum sponsor of UTAR Agritech 25: Bamboo Resources, Cultivation and Utilizations.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi presenting a token of appreciation in thanking Land & General Berhad, a gold sponsor of UTAR Agritech 25: Bamboo Resources, Cultivation and Utilizations.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi presenting a token of appreciation to Surechem Sdn. Bhd., a gold sponsor of UTAR Agritech 25: Bamboo Resources, Cultivation and Utilizations.
We thank our handsome emcees of the event in coordinating a smooth and insightful event.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi presenting a token of appreciation to FGV Agri Services Sdn. Bhd., a platinum sponsor of UTAR Agritech 25: Bamboo Resources, Cultivation and Utilizations.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi presenting a token of appreciation in thanking Land & General Berhad, a gold sponsor of UTAR Agritech 25: Bamboo Resources, Cultivation and Utilizations.
It was a great honor to have Dato' Dr. Hajjah Mazaliana, a dedicated expert in research and development as well as conservation efforts, moderating the first session of the talk.
We thank Dr. Elizabeth A. Widjaja for coming over from Indonesia to share her vast experience in bamboo agroecology as a sustainable form of bamboo production, means of livelihood and conservation.
During the short break, participants were invited to check out the many exciting booths, workshop and demonstration. Here, Dr. Tan Ji (left) was seen introducing the different species of bamboos being cultivated in UTAR. Participants also had the chance to learn about bamboo propagation at this workshop booth.
Participants chose and propagated bamboo from the 7 different species offered. The workshop also entailed the different substrate media and different propagation methods and care regime for bamboo. At the end of the day, participants were also allowed to bring home their bamboo propagules.
Dr. Goh Wei Lim, who also happens to be a bamboo taxonomist, discussing about the latest developments in the naming and identity of bamboos with En. Mohd. Ramadhan Abdul Hamid.
Pn. Zaharah Daud cooking everyone a wide array of scrumptious dishes using bamboo shoots harvested from her own farm. Very impressive indeed!
Mdm. Phoena Teoh Hui Kian enthusiastically demonstrating how bamboo leaves are used to wrap chicken dumplings. She is truly experienced and made it look really easy, as the participants struggle to wrap the contents.
A booth on herbarium specimen preparation was also setup and ran by our postgradute students. Herbaria are important in the identification and naming of plants, and they are often invaluable in the description of new species too!
Vast, impressive bamboo culms on display at the FGV Agri Services sponsor booth.
A wide-array of bamboo-related products being showcase and sold during the event.
Poster booth spurring insightful and academic discussions.
A display of wireless sensor technology as means to automate farming regimes.
After a wonderful lunch featuring lemang and rendang, a panel discussion entitled "Bamboo Industry in Malaysia: Current Status and Prospects" was held between Dato' Dr. Hajjah Marzalina, Dr. Elizabeth, En. Abdul Hamid and Dato' Lai Yeng Fock. The session was kindly and professionally moderated by En. Mohd. Ramadhan Abdul Hamid.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng (Dean of Faculty of Science) presenting a token of appreciation to Dr. Elizabeth A. Widjaja, Bamboo Botanist of the Environmental Bamboo Foundation Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng presenting a token of appreciation to En. Abdul Hamid bin Md. Yusof, Special Project Manager of Land & General Berhad.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng presenting a token of appreciation to Dato' Lai Yeng Fock, Founder & CEO of Tadom Hill Resort Sdn. Bhd. who is also the Vice President of the Malaysian Bamboo Society.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng presenting a token of appreciation to En. Mohd. Ramadhan Abdul Hamid, Founder of Bamboo Village Kuala Lumpur.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Tuck Meng wrapping up Agritech 25 by summarizing the many insightful lessons learnt and discussed on that day. He thanked the distinguished speakers and sponsors for their support which are key to the success of the event. He also thanked the organizing committee and participants for their continued support and efforts in realizing the objectives of the Agritech seminar series, and he hoped to see everyone again during Agritech 26 which will be held in 2025.
Webinar: Unlock the Power of Biostimulants
for Enhanced Crop and Plant Growth
Venue : Zoom Meetings
Date: 26 April 2024
Dr Lim Choon Kiat, founder of Perkhidmatan Agro Pintar Sdn Bhd, Sungai Siput Utara, Perak sharing his knowledge and experience in the use of biostimulants. Perkhidmatan Agro Pintar is currently one of UTAR's anchor companies.
Group photo taken during the event. The 1-hour webinar was successfully held with 60 local and international participants. We Dr Lim Choon Kiat for his valuable sharing, as well as the support from all participants.
The webinar provided an overview of biostimulants and how they act as biological enhancers to improve plant growth, crop yield and plant stress resistance.
Dr Lim sharing his insights, experience as well as examples of his company's research and collaboration with the academia.
Agriculture Technology Seminar Series 24:
Harnessing the Power of Nature: Embracing Organic Agriculture for a Sustainable Future
Venue : Zoom Meetings
Date: 19 April 2024
Details of the event.
Say cheese! Group photo taken during the event. We are honored to have three distinguished speakers share their valuable experiences. (2nd row from left to right: Pn Zarina binti Ramli, YBhg Prof. Dr Patricia King Jie Hung and Prof Komiya Ryoichi).
Dr. Pedram Kashiani, chairperson of Agritech 24 welcoming all the participants to our annual event aimed at disseminating knowledge and information of recent advancements in agriculture to students and the public.
Prof. Dr. Sumathi, Deputy Director of Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research (IPSR) UTAR officiating the event.
An insightful talk by Prof Patricia King on "Cultivating Change: Carbon Farming for Environmental Resilience".
An engaging 1-hr discussion session among the speakers and enthusiastic participants. The discussion was professionally moderated by Dr Tan Yen Nee, chairperson of the Center for Agriculture and Food Research (CAFR).
Prof., Komiya Ryoichi on "How to Create Organic Fans in the Districts where Organic Awarenss is Low".
Pn. Zarina binti Ramli on "Participatory Guarantee System (PGS): A Sustainable Inititative for Organic Farmers and Organic Entusiasts".
During the closing remarks, Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng reiterated organic agriculture as an important paradigm shift towards harmonizing with nature, recognizing its intricate ecosystems, and harnessing its innate capabilities, to promote long-term soil fertility and resilience against climate change.