Through the Community Service Program (Pengmas), Lecturers and Students of FMIPA UI in collaboration with the Pandu Cendikia Foundation held training on making liquid organic fertilizer based on local wisdom by utilizing regional potential (natural materials) and waste products for the people of East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

The natural ingredients used to produce this fertilizer, developed by the UI Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences community service team, include coconut water, brown sugar, ginger water, and egg whites. The waste used includes livestock waste, such as animal manure, and domestic waste, such as rice washing water.

The program, chaired by Biology Lecturer of FMIPA UI Dr. Retno Lestari, was held on August 28-30, 2019 in Sembalun, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, with support from the Directorate of Research and Community Service of the University of Indonesia (DRPM UI).

Retno explained that the idea to hold this local wisdom-based organic fertilizer production training was based on the fact that the sub-district in East Lombok Regency is known for its horticultural products, such as onions, potatoes, and chilies.

Intensification is often carried out on these commodities to increase production. However, he noted that intensification is often done through land expansion and the use of external agricultural inputs such as inorganic fertilizers, medicines, and pesticides, which creates several problems, including increased production costs, environmental pollution, and land degradation.

Furthermore, Retno continued, the earthquake that struck Lombok and its surrounding areas caused economic losses, particularly in the Sembalun area. Therefore, various efforts are being made to revive economic activity, including promoting horticultural crops.

The team began by conducting research on the materials used. The research was conducted in the laboratory and in the field. This was followed by a trial phase, followed by implementation among Sembalun residents, involving the Loang Farmers Group, which has 163 members.

The advantage of this liquid organic fertilizer, developed by Retno and her five students, is that unlike other organic fertilizers, which are made through a fermentation process, people only need to mix natural ingredients with livestock or domestic waste. The fertilizer is then ready to use without any fermentation process.

Retno claims that the manufacturing process by mixing natural ingredients can minimize the risk of failure that may occur in making organic fertilizer through fermentation, in addition to reducing the waste produced by fertilizer, as well as converting it into a form of fertilizer that is very beneficial for the Sembalun community, most of whom work as farmers.

Another advantage of this liquid organic fertilizer is its relatively low production costs and environmental friendliness. This is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural businesses, which have remained a mainstay for Sembalun residents.

This local wisdom-based liquid organic fertilizer, the result of innovation by Retno and her team consisting of 5 Biology students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia, is still used by Sembalun residents, especially those who work as farmers, to improve the quality of plants so as to increase harvest yields.

“This liquid organic fertilizer is still being intensively used on several types of plants to improve growth and increase yields,” Retno told the FMIPA UI Public Relations team at the UI campus in Depok.

Leo is one of them. A local resident who also works as a large red chili farmer, he revealed that he had tried the innovative fertilizer developed by the UI Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences community service team on his chili plants, which he planted in August.

By the end of November, Leo had observed that the fertilizer had had a significant impact on the chili plants he was growing. The differences in the chili plants treated with this liquid organic fertilizer were clearly visible, including stronger and taller stems, greener and fresher leaves, larger, brighter red ripe chilies, and a stronger survival rate compared to plants not treated with the liquid organic fertilizer.

“I’ve tried it. It’s had a significant impact on my chili plants. The stems are stronger, taller, and the leaves are greener and fresher. They also have better survival rates compared to those not given this organic fertilizer,” Leo said.