The 24th Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference (APPS) Change&Adaptation

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Sri Hendrastuti attended the 24th Australasian Plant Pathology Society
Conference which was held in Adelaide, Australia on 20 – 23 November 2023 at the National
Wine Center Building. She presented a paper entitled Current status of banana bunchy top
disease in Indonesia and its alternative control strategy. It was explained in her presentation
that banana bunchy top disease has spread widely in various regions in Indonesia and infects
various types of bananas commonly grown. Efforts to control this disease were discussed in
more detail, including the potential for using virus-free plant materials combined with the
application of liquid smoke. This topic invited quite interesting discussion because banana
disease problem, especially those caused by Banana bunchy top virus is a global problem. In
Australia itself, this disease received special attention because it caused the decline of the
banana industry, which is the main agricultural commodity in this country. According to Prof.
Dr. Elisabeth Sri Hendrastuti, participation in international conferences is a good opportunity
to expand the dissemination of research outputs. Collaborative network may also be initiated
through active participation in the conference forum.