SEAMEO BIOTROP, in collaboration with CAB International, trained 20 researchers, lecturers and administrators from Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam on  “Biological Control of Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS)” at its headquarter in Bogor, Indonesia on 26-30 November 2012.

The training workshop was a component of  a regional project on “Removing Barrier to Invasive Species Management in Southeast Asia” involving the four countries abovementioned with funding from the United Nations Environmental Program, Global Environment Fund and Satogaeri Fund.  It was aimed to enrich the current knowledge of participants on  IAPS and biological control options toward enabling them to initiate IAPS control projects in their respective countries.  It also served as venue for the participants to know each as members of the project and form an IAPS biological control network in the region. 

The training workshop consisted of lecture-discussions, classroom exercises, field work, and country case presentations. Practical class exercises were conducted on identification of IAPs, selection of insect agents of Lantana camara, and host specificity testing and impact on biocontrol agents. The participants surveyed  the existing natural enemies on native and introduced plants species during  their  field work  at Cibodas Botanical Garden and Mount Gede Pangrango National Park.  Each participating country presented a report on their  current legislations and status on IAPS control.

The resource persons/facilitators during the training workshop were Dr. Soekisman Tjitrosoedirdjo from the Indonesian Weed Science  Society, Dr. Arne Witt from  CABI Africa, Dr Sivapragasam Annamalai from CABI Southeast Asia, and Dr. Sri S. Tjitrosoedirdjo and  Ms. Sri Widayanti from SEAMEO BIOTROP.

Dr. Sri S. Tjitrosoedirdjo served as the technical training coordinator.