Universitas Brawijaya (UB) and Nusa Cendana University in collaboration with the Agriculture and Food Security Office of Malaka Regency, held agricultural extension with the concept of “Circular Economy” on Monday, (7/22/2024), which took place in the hall of the Agriculture and Food Security Office of Malaka Regency. The activity was carried out as a form of realization of the Matching Fund Program (PDP) of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education as well as an effort to increase rice crop productivity and improve the economic sector of Malaka farmers. This activity was attended by many participants ranging from local farmers, agricultural extension workers of Malaka Regency, Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Office of Malaka, drh. Januaria Maria Seran, Head of Division and Staff of the Malaka Office, along with Lecturers from Universitas Brawijaya represented by Dr. Rita Parmawati, SP., ME., IPU., ASEAN Eng and Lecturers from Nusa Cendana University represented by Dr. Ir. Ida Nurwiana, M.Sc. The discussion and question and answer session were carried out with great enthusiasm from the farmers regarding the technology that will be used.
The material explained in this agricultural extension is the concept of circular economy in agriculture and the technologies that can be applied in it.
Rita explained that the concept of Circular Economy itself is an environmentally friendly concept with three main principles, namely, reducing and avoiding waste, reusing and recycling waste, and promoting the regeneration of natural resources. Universitas Brawijaya and Nusa Cendana University contribute to each other by contributing ideas to build agriculture in Malaka Regency to become a superior regency with applied and environmentally friendly technological innovations. The technological innovations used are Organic Mulch Tape (PMO) and Magnetic Induction Irrigation Channels. Organic Mulch Tape is an innovation that can replace mulch made of environmentally unfriendly plastic with mulch made of organic materials. Meanwhile, the innovation of Magnetic Induction Irrigation Channels is expected to help control the pH of water that will flow into the rice fields so that the need for minerals in plants can be achieved.
After the agricultural extension activities, it was continued with a survey and land mapping to see the conditions in the field. Malaka Regency is very rich in natural resources in the form of water hyacinth, banana plant waste, and paitan leaves (Crotalaria SP) which can be used as Organic Mulch Tape. The sustainability of this program will later teach farmers the technology in making Organic Mulch Tape and Magnetic Induction Irrigation Channels so that the community, especially farmers, are able to produce independently. (NAD/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)