Lowokwaru (malangkota.go.id) – Lecturer of the Faculty of Agriculture, Brawijaya University, Malang, Dr. Rita Parmawati, SP., ME., IPU., ASEAN Eng., developed Organic Mulch Tape from banana waste, water hyacinth and paitan leaves (Crotalaria SP) to prevent weed growth and reduce the rate of evaporation.
Rita said that Organic Mulch Tape is a technology that replaces plastic mulch which is considered environmentally unfriendly because it cannot be decomposed properly. The disadvantages of using plastic mulch on plant growth are that it can reduce plant growth and yield, increase pest attacks, increase microplastic contamination, waterlogging, loss of soil structure and reduce the activity of soil microorganisms.
He explained that the technology would be applied when approaching the second planting season in Malaka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), because in that area banana waste is very abundant. "Therefore, we utilize water hyacinth and paitan leaves together to be crushed, chopped and molded into a sheet 25 cm wide," he said.
Its function is to suppress weed growth and reduce the evaporation rate by up to 40%. And if exposed to the sun, organic mulch tape will decompose into fertilizer. Currently, he said, the process of applying mulch tape is carried out on a laboratory scale and is already at the socialization stage with the regent of Malaka Regency, and several farmer groups and heads of departments in Malaka Regency.
"Why did we choose Malaka Regency as the location for implementing Organic Mulch Tape technology because based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), agricultural growth in the area is still low. In fact, the people of Malaka Regency depend on their economic system from the agricultural sector," he added.
Rita added that Malaka Regency is also a border area with a low economic growth rate. "The problem there is that rice productivity has decreased from 2020 to 2022 and there are difficulties in supplying rice seeds and there are other agricultural problems such as weeds, evaporation, soil temperature, and irrigation systems. That is what we are currently trying to solve and the hope is that rice productivity in 2024 will increase," he explained.
"We will go to Malacca at the end of July. For the process of making Mulch Tape for 10 hectares of land, we are collaborating with the machine factory PT. Widjaya Teknik Indonesia (Witech)," said Rita.
For the sustainability of technology implementation, the community will be taught how to make Organic Mulch Tape starting from the introduction of materials, chopping, making tape pulp, drying and pressing so that it is hoped that the community will be able to independently produce Organic Mulch Tape. (say-UB/yon)
