27th Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society
KUCHING: About 243 weed scientists from 24 countries attended a conference of the 27th Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS) held at Riverside Majestic Hotel yesterday.
The three-day conference which was declared open by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas will end on Sept 6.
Themed ‘Weed Science for Sustainable Agriculture and Environment’, the conference is focused on developments in the science of weed management and discussed challenges faced by researchers, practitioners and consumers on problems related to weed management.
Organised by APWSS itself and Malaysian Plant Protection Society (MAPPS), the conference covers a wide range of topics related to weed science with 12 sub-topics to be discussed. During the next few days, participants will deliver a total of 111 oral and 68 poster presentations.
The programme contained a keynote address by a University of Western Australia professor, Dr Stephen Powles, who will speak on ‘Herbicide Resistance and its Management in Asian Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities’.
It also includes other seven plenary speakers namely Emeritus Prof Dr Robert Zimdahi of Colorado State University, USA, Prof Dr Stephen William Adkins of The University of Queensland, Australia, Prof Dr Do-Soon Kim of Seoul National University, South Korea, Dr Shiv Shankhar Kaundun of Syngenta, UK, Dr Michael D Day of Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Dr A N Rao of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India; and Prof Dr Samunder Singh of Chaundhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, India.
In his speech, president of APWSS and MAPPS Prof Dr Abdul Shukor Juraimi said, “Weed infestation in the farm without proper control measures could reduce yield up to 90 percent.”
He said therefore the conference provided a platform for useful exchange of scientific and technical information, experiences and innovative ideas. It also serves to strengthen linkages within the industry and among academicians, scientists and policy makers locally and internationally.
APWSS was established 52 years ago to gather weed researchers and practitioners from Asia Pacific region and all over the world to express views on all issues related to weeds and their management through the promotion of research, education and extension outreach activities.
Earlier, Uggah also launched an APWSS journal and an MAPPS book.
