The 5th International Symposium for the Development of Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Agriculture in Asia and Africa (5th IPM Symposium) was held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on 18-20 December 2012, bearing the theme “IPM: New Frontier Towards Sustainable Agro Ecosystem.”
The symposium was jointly organised by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Niigata University Japan, International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet), University Sabah Malaysia, Malaysian Cocoa Board, Malaysian Department of Agriculture, and Sabah Department of Agriculture.
Deputy Minister Dato Chua Tee Yong of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry, Dato Chua Tee Yong opened the symposium. “Reducing pre- and post-harvest losses caused by pests can make a significant contribution towards improving food security and safety, and better market access,” said Chua. “This symposium as an appropriate forum to discuss the various challenges posed by pests and design measures to alleviate them,” he added.
The symposium aims to provide a platform for crop protectionist from the developing and developed countries to review the existing information and knowledge of IPM, exchange information and expertise, and foster international collaboration.
The 5th IPM Symposium attracted 222 participants from 14 countries. There were 2 keynotes addresses, 33 oral and 71 poster presentations that imparted crucial knowledge in the realm of IPM. All the presentations dealt with both fundamental and applied research aspects and gave a comprehensive picture of new developments in IPM in various countries and regions.
In his keynote address, Dr. Heong Kong Luen from International Rice Research Institute, Philippines enlightened the participants with the negative effects of pesticides if misused and overused and the role of flowering plants in enhancing natural enemies. Prof. Geoff M. Gurr from Charles Stuart University, Australia gave a detailed explanation on the functions of ecological engineering in pest suppression and reduction in pesticides dependency in a crop production system.