Dear members, Greetings to all. The IUFRO WP 2.08.07 on Acacia Genetics and Silviculture was set up in 2014 to provide a forum for researchers and managers to share information on the problems and opportunities which are facing tropical acacia plantation forestry in Southeast (SE) Asia. This meeting jointly hosted by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and Forest Department of Sarawak (FDS) is the first opportunity the WP has had to meet in Malaysia. The Sarawak State Government has embarked on industrial forest plantation (IFP) since 1997 with the introduction of Planted Forest Rule (1997). To date, IFP covering 2.5 million hectares were issued as a step to reduce pressure on natural forest and to ensure sustainable supply of raw material to the timber industry. A target has been set for one million hectares of IFP, to be achieved by 2025. In order to achieve the target, the State Government urged the relevant agencies and licensees to intensify R&D to enhance production of high quality planting material, pest and diseases control, forest management, harvesting and the production of higher value added products in order to improve IFP performance. The IFP target has not yet been achieved, with only 435,000 ha of plantations established by 2018. R&D collaboration with international research organizations has been identified as an important contributing factor to strengthen plantation development. Tropical acacias comprise a large proportion of Sarawak's forest plantations, so hosting of the IUFRO Acacia Conference is timely. Non-native acacias have become dominant components of many SE Asian plantation landscapes. They are increasingly being threatened by insect pests and pathogens. Regional collaboration in SE Asia is urgently needed to lower the arrival and subsequent movement of invasive pests and pathogens and to better manage damage to trees by ‘new encounter’ or established pests. The theme of the 3rd IUFRO Acacia Conference “Embracing Transformation for Sustainable Management of Industrial Forest Plantation” will address the application of technology and innovation in upstream and downstream R&D. Researchers, plantation managers and policy makers from around the world are encouraged to participate. The conference will share knowledge, research findings and experience from different disciplines, discuss current issues on IFP management and ways forward, and strengthen collaboration among participants. The conference will include invited and contributed presentations, posters, exhibition and post-conference tours (in Sarawak and Sabah). I attach the first call for early expression of interest to Dr. Pang Shek Ling (slpang(a)sarawakforestry.com) or Mr. Dawend Jivan ( dawendj1(a)sarawak.gov.my ). See you all in Bintulu in September 2020! Warm regards, Wicki Prof. Dr. Wickneswari Ratnam, FASc Professor of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology/Chair of WP 2.08.07 Faculty of Science and Technology Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: 603-89213840, Mobile: 012-2022314 Fax: 603-89253357 Email: wicki(a)ukm.edu.my, wickneswari(a)gmail.com Homepage: http://ukm.academia.edu/WickneswariRatnam http://www.linkedin.com/pub/wickneswari-ratnam/24/917/11 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/R_Wickneswari -- *PENAFIAN*: E-mel ini dan apa-apa fail yang dikepilkan bersamanya ("Mesej") adalah ditujukan hanya untuk kegunaan penerima(-penerima) yang termaklum di atas dan mungkin mengandungi maklumat sulit. Anda dengan ini dimaklumkan bahawa mengambil apa jua tindakan bersandarkan kepada, membuat penilaian, mengulang hantar, menghebah, mengedar, mencetak, atau menyalin Mesej ini atau sebahagian daripadanya oleh sesiapa selain daripada penerima(-penerima) yang termaklum di atas adalah dilarang. Jika anda telah menerima Mesej ini kerana kesilapan, anda mesti menghapuskan Mesej ini dengan segera dan memaklumkan kepada penghantar Mesej ini menerusi balasan e-mel. Pendapat, rumusan, dan sebarang maklumat lain di dalam Mesej ini yang tidak berkait dengan urusan rasmi Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) adalah difahami sebagai bukan dikeluar atau diperakui oleh mana-mana pihak yang disebut. _*DISCLAIMER *: This e-mail and any files transmitted with it ("Message") is intended only for the use of the recipient(s) named above and may contain confidential information. You are hereby notified that the taking of any action in reliance upon, or any review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, printing or copying of this Message or any part thereof by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this Message in error, you should delete this Message immediately and advise the sender by return e-mail. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this Message that do not relate to the official business of The National University of Malaysia (UKM) shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by any of the aforementioned._