Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) on Monday gathered leading scientists from around the world in Bogor to strengthen global banana breeding through international collaboration and advanced research.
BRIN Head Arif Satria said the meeting, titled Collection, Characterization and Pre-breeding Wild Bananas, demonstrates how global partnerships can address shared agricultural challenges by integrating biology, genetics, and breeding expertise.
"At the national level, we are proud to have BRIN as a core partner in this project, bringing together researchers with broad expertise and deep knowledge of Indonesia’s wild banana diversity,” Arif said in a statement received in Jakarta.
Indonesia, recognized as one of the world’s centers of banana origin and diversity, is home to 16 wild banana subspecies, offering a priceless genetic reservoir for disease resistance and climate adaptation, he said, calling it vital for future breeding programs.
"These genetic resources are the backbone of our scientific efforts,” Arif said, highlighting their strategic role in strengthening sustainable banana production worldwide.
The forum also marked the launch of the Banana Innovation, Network, Database (BIND) Center, designed as a permanent global hub integrating exploration, characterization, and pre-breeding research into a comprehensive digital database.
Through the BIND Center, Indonesia aims to establish a lasting international program to support long-term breeding strategies, reinforce scientific cooperation, and position the country as a major contributor to global banana research.
Participants included researchers from BRIN, IPB University, and Padjadjaran University, alongside international experts from the University of Queensland in Australia, Wageningen University Research in the Netherlands, Meise Botanic Gardens and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Belgium, the Institute of Experimental Botany in the Czech Republic, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Primayanti
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