FMIPA UI Presents Liquid Organic Fertilizer Solution with the Best Formulation for Fostered Partner Residents

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) through the Department of Chemistry, is implementing a Community Service (Pengmas) program in the form of mentoring activities for the recycling process of household organic waste, to increase the results of natural plant fertilizers that are optimally effective, for residents who are driving the Jambu Muda Waste Bank, Rawa Badak Village, Cepedak Village, Jagakarsa District RT 003/02, South Jakarta.

The Head of the Chemistry Department of FMIPA UI, Dr. Asep Saefumillah, S.Si., M.Si., officially opened the community service activity which was also attended by a team of extension workers from the DKI Jakarta Environmental Service as companions.

"As an educational institution, it should be a solution to community problems. This is what the Department of Chemistry is doing through the 2023 FMIPA UI Community Service activity. This organic waste recycling process assistance activity is an effort by the Department of Chemistry to support sustainable local agricultural activities," said Dr. Asep.

The activity took place on Saturday, November 11, 2023 in two locations, namely in the Chemistry Department, and in the Parangtopo Laboratory, FMIPA UI, Depok. The socialization and counseling activities about waste and how to process it were delivered in the Chemistry Department by speakers who were lecturers and members of the community service team, namely, Rika Tri Yuniarti, M.Eng. Ph.D., and Dr. Antonius Herry Cahyana. The event then moved to the Parangtopo Laboratory for a demonstration of the application of the results of the Liquid Organic Fertilizer (POC) trial.

The head of the community service team of the Department of Chemistry, Aminah M.Sc. Ph.D., explained that this activity was motivated by complaints from the Bank Sampah Jambu Muda community, about the POC they produced. According to the community, the fertilizer they produced produced an unpleasant odor, and could not be applied for fertilization, causing the plants that were given the POC fertilizer to die.

"Starting from the problem, our team, the community service team of the Department of Chemistry, were moved to find a solution. We took samples of the POC product produced by the Young Guava Waste Bank, and then we analyzed the macro and micro nutrient content," said Aminah explaining the background of the activity.

Sample analysis was conducted by the community service team one month before the socialization activity was carried out. This analysis was conducted by the team to obtain accurate measurement results on the levels of POC macronutrients, namely nitrogen, organic carbon, and phosphorus, as well as micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium, ferro/iron, manganese and molybdenum, so that the quality of POC can be determined.

"Determining the levels of these nutrients has a big influence on the quality of the organic liquid fertilizer produced," said Aminah to the participants.

The results of the analysis were then socialized to the participants, and then for optimal application of POC, the results of these measurements were tested at the Parangtopo Laboratory which is located not far from the Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UI.

At the Parangtopo Laboratory, the community service team conducted research and application of POC products from the Waste Bank by diluting the POC using water in various ratios.

POC with various dilutions was then applied to watering chili and tomato seedlings for 15 days. From the observation results, it can be concluded that POC dilution with a ratio of 1:50 produces the most optimal growth.

"Meanwhile, to eliminate the unpleasant odor from POC products, our solution is to provide a new method from the results of the experiment, namely replacing the bioactivator, and modifying the composter tank that was previously used. We have socialized all the solutions offered through counseling, and we also provide module pamphlets so that participants can study them later," he said.

At this second location, participants also had the opportunity to watch a demonstration of fertilizer processing into methane gas, solid fertilizer and POC, and see the experimental plants. Participants looked very enthusiastic with the interesting presentations from the speakers, and fun game yang dihadirkan tim sebagai selingan kegiatan. Tak hanya itu, tim juga menyediakan voucher belanja untuk para peserta.

For your information, Parangtopo Laboratory is a laboratory Waste to Energy FMIPA UI, which also serves as a pilot laboratory in the application of organic waste recycling technology in the UI environment.

One of the activities carried out in the Parangtopo laboratory is the processing of leaf waste and organic waste through a biodigester tube into methane gas energy (CH₄) sources of electrical energy and processing organic waste into liquid organic fertilizer and compost.

"I am very happy to be invited to the UI Campus and receive counseling, as well as solutions to the problems of our residents. In the future, I am more confident in sharing the knowledge gained in this activity with other residents so that more people can participate," said Misan, Head of the Jambu Muda Waste Bank team RT 003/02 Cepedak, Jagakarsa.

At the end of the activity, the team distributed compost fertilizer and composter kits and POC making materials to participants. The community service team of the Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UI hopes that this mentoring activity can be sustainable. The team assessed that in addition to being beneficial for local agriculture, the use of liquid organic fertilizer also has a positive impact on the local ecosystem.

News source : https://sci.ui.ac.id/