HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT has always been the key to supporting innovation in various industries, including the horticultural seed industry. With the spirit of collaboration between industry and academia, today PT East West Seed Indonesia (Ewindo) and the Postgraduate School of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) signed an agreement on Educational Cooperation for the Special Implementation of the Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Masters Program (PBT Masters). This event took place at the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture building, Faculty of Agriculture, Postgraduate School of IPB, Bogor.
This collaboration includes the implementation of the PBT Masters program for EWINDO Research and Development Division employees for the 2024/2025 to 2025/2026 academic years, to develop science and technology that supports superior, modern and sustainable agriculture. Graduates of this special class are expected to have competence in the field of creative, innovative and participatory tropical plant breeding and biotechnology, and are recognized nationally and internationally.
At the signing of this cooperation, Research and Development Director of PT East West Seed Indonesia, Fatkhu Rokhman, SP, M.Si. said, “We thank the IPB Postgraduate School for this partnership. At EWINDO, we believe in high-quality vegetable seeds and the best service for the welfare of farmers. In providing quality seeds, the plant breeding process plays a key role. Therefore, the development of human resources for the plant breeding profession is very much needed. This program is also a manifestation of the EWINDO Academy as a place for employee self-development, one of the pillars of which is “education enhancement”. We hope that this cooperation can encourage the development of superior vegetable varieties, so that in the end it will advance the Indonesian horticultural agricultural sector.”
Dean of the IPB Postgraduate School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, M.Sc.F.Trop said, “The PBT Masters Study Program has a vision to be an international center of excellence in developing human resources capable of conducting research on tropical plant breeding and biotechnology. We are very pleased with the signing of this cooperation, and hope that the PBT Masters Study Program curriculum can support EWINDO plant breeders to become superior intellectuals with professional competence in the era of agriculture 4.0, as well as facilitate an ecosystem of self-development by providing a conducive academic atmosphere.”
The collaboration between EWINDO and IPB University in the Tri Dharma pillars of Higher Education (education, research and community service) has been going on for a long time. The signing of this collaboration further emphasizes the efforts of both parties in developing human resources through partnerships between the academic world and industry, which are expected to produce increasingly impactful outputs in the form of developing superior vegetable varieties that will later be enjoyed by the wider community.
In terms of innovation and technology application, EWINDO’s plant breeding facility is also at the forefront of the horticultural seed industry. Several superior varieties of “Cap Panah Merah” seeds resulting from EWINDO’s plant breeding that have an impact on improving farmers’ welfare include:
1. SERVO F1 tomatoes are resistant to Gemini Virus (GV) with a harvest age of around 60-70 days following planting (DAP) and a potential yield of 50-60 tons/Ha.
2. AMARA F1 watermelon is resistant to GSB disease with a harvest age of around 58-62 HST and a potential yield of 33-39 tons/Ha.
3. TANGGUH F1 Curly Chili which is also resistant to GV, bacterial wilt and stem rot, with a harvest age of around 80-85 HST and a potential yield of 14-21 tons/Ha.
These three varieties, their disease resistance, harvest age, weight and yield potential depend on the environment and cultivation treatment. (Z-6)
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