Serdang – The Biodiversity Unit, Institute of Bioscience, in collaboration with the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, successfully organized the Agricultural Transformation Through Tissue Culture Course with the Smallholder Community, specifically tailored for the banana growers’ community. The course was conducted in three sessions: 13–14 January 2026, 4–5 February 2026, and 10–11 February 2026.

The program received a very encouraging response, with the participation of nine (9) participants comprising small-scale banana farmers. The active engagement demonstrated the strong commitment of smallholder farmers to strengthening technology-based agricultural practices.

This course was fully funded under the Knowledge Transfer Program (KTP)-Malaysian Research University Network (MRUN) grant scheme, titled “Strengthening Smallholder Banana Farming in Selangor through Knowledge Transfer in Soil Health, Disease Management, and Market Access”, which was awarded to Associate Professor Dr. Noor Baity binti Saidi of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences as the Project Leader. The primary objective of the program was to enhance the knowledge and skills of smallholders through both theoretical and practical training in the management and production of high-quality tissue culture plantlets.

The banana cultivation industry among smallholders in Malaysia is currently facing significant challenges, including unsustainable farming practices, persistent disease threats, technical knowledge gaps, and economic vulnerability. These issues have affected productivity and increased production costs, consequently impacting income stability. Therefore, knowledge and technology transfer initiatives such as this program are viewed as strategic interventions to strengthen the community’s capacity to produce uniform, disease-free, and high-quality planting materials. The program is expected to further enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the national banana industry.

A key highlight of the course was its intensive training approach combined with one-to-one coaching, enabling participants to gain in-depth understanding of each process. Topics covered included Introduction to Plant Tissue Culture Technology, Micropropagation and Genetic Variation, preparation of culture media, sterilization of banana explants and techniques for transferring tissue-cultured plantlets to polybags. Participants were also given the opportunity to bring home banana tissue culture plantlets as part of their practical training outcomes.

The course was excellently led by Puan Julia Abdul Aziz (Science Officer) in her capacity as Project Manager, where she was responsible for planning, coordinating and ensuring the smooth and comprehensive implementation of the programme. In addition to overseeing the overall management of the programme, she also contributed her expertise as a speaker and facilitator alongside Encik Muhammad Amri Putra bin Safhee (Executive Officer) from the Biodiversity Unit. The course content was further strengthened through the involvement of experienced academic staff from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, namely Associate Professor Dr. Noor Baity binti Saidi, Dr. Nadiya Akmal binti Baharum, and Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Azzreena bin Mohamad Azzeme, who delivered comprehensive scientific and technical insights.

The successful implementation of this course reflects the Universiti Putra Malaysia’s commitment to expanding collaborative networks with the community and driving agricultural transformation through impactful and sustainable technology transfer initiatives.

For further information regarding this course, please contact Puan Julia Abdul Aziz at +603-9769 2198 or Encik Muhammad Amri Putra bin Safhee at +603-9769 2130 / +6011-15726550.

Date of Input: 04/03/2026 | Updated: 11/03/2026 | azah