BISNISTIME.COM, BOGOR – In an effort to create modern farmers, Universitas Indraprasta PGRI (UNINDRA) conducted a Community Service Program for the “Giat Bakti Lestari” farmer group in Cibadung Village, Gunung Sindur, Bogor. The program, held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, aims to empower local farmers by enhancing their skills and knowledge, particularly in banana cultivation using tissue culture technology.
The farming of bananas in Cibadung Village holds immense potential due to the ease of cultivation and high market demand. However, farmers face significant challenges in terms of productivity and the quality of planting materials. The availability of high-quality seedlings and the prevalence of plant diseases have reduced yields, affecting the farmers’ livelihoods.
To address these challenges, the UNINDRA Community Service Team, consisting of Fitri Damayanti, Acep Musliman, Andri Suryana, Ahla Safira Maulida, and Sarah Imsakiah Harahap, launched a program focused on improving banana seedling production through tissue culture technology. This method is proven to generate disease-free, high-quality seedlings that can significantly enhance productivity. The program was funded by the Directorate of Research and Community Service (DRTPM) under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
The goals of the Community Service Program (PKM) include:
- Improving Farmers’ Knowledge and Skills: Training farmers in tissue culture technology and its application in banana seedling production.
- Increasing Land Productivity: Using tissue-cultured banana seedlings to boost the productivity of farmland in Cibadung Village, supporting local economic growth.
- Empowering Farmers: Enabling farmers to produce high-quality seedlings independently, reducing reliance on external suppliers.
During the opening ceremony, the leaders of the “Giat Bakti Lestari” farmer group, Marji Suherman and Asep Yanto, welcomed the UNINDRA team and expressed their excitement for the program. Dr. Fitri Damayanti, head of the PKM team, introduced the initiative, emphasizing the importance of modern agricultural technology in increasing productivity.
Dr. Acep Musliman, one of the team members, conducted a comprehensive session on the basics of tissue culture, explaining how to select plant tissues, sterilize them, and propagate them in a laboratory setting. The farmers were given detailed instructions on how this method could significantly improve the quality of their banana crops.
The highlight of the program was the practical session where the farmers participated in the tissue culture process. A fully-equipped mini laboratory was set up by the UNINDRA team, complete with Laminar Air Flow Cabinets, autoclaves, dissecting sets, and Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture media, all provided through grant funding. The farmer group contributed by providing the laboratory space and a screen house for the seedlings’ acclimatization.
Dr. Acep Musliman guided the farmers through each step, from collecting banana tissue samples to culturing them in the lab. This hands-on experience helped the farmers gain practical skills, ensuring they could apply the techniques independently in the future.
The program serves as a stepping stone towards modernizing agriculture in Cibadung Village, empowering the local farmers to improve both their yields and economic resilience. Through the application of tissue culture technology, the “Giat Bakti Lestari” farmer group is poised to become a model for sustainable and profitable banana farming.
