UNS — Food Crops and Plantation Research Group of Agrotechnology Program Faculty of Agriculture (FP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held training and socialization of red ginger nursey. This event was held in Wonorejo Village, Jatiyoso Subdistrict, Karanganyar District, collaborating with ginger farmers. The Community Service Program of Research Group Grant Non-APBN UNS 2021 was led by Prof. Supriyono and Prof. Maria Theresia Sri Budiastuti, Ir. Trijono M.P., Ir. Sri Nyoto, M.S., and Aprilia Ike Nurmalasari, M.Sc., as members.
“Red ginger has good development potential. Because of the pandemic, people need to improve their immune systems, including consuming red ginger, by making it into a beverage and cold relief produced by many jamu companies, such as Bintang Toejoe. The company purchased their red ginger from here,” Prof. Supriyono stated.
Before stepping into the training on the red ginger nursery, the community service team conducted socialization and training for agricultural management. Twenty participants and five students from Agrotechnology Program who have research in Wonorejo attended the training. Red ginger farming in the village is a household industry managed by family members. The high selling price of red ginger (IDR 40,000/kg) generate more profit for farmers compared to other commodities.
In the socialization on Saturday (3/4/2021), Prof. Supriyono or Pak Pri explained that the application of organic fertilizer in marginal lands increased the production of rhizomes up to 19 – 28 ton/ha. “Organic materials could improve the effectiveness of nitrogen fertilization because it bound free N and make it harder to get washed away. This is a step of implementing Integrated Plant Nutrient System (IPNS),” he explained.
Pak Pri then explained the nursery method for red ginger in bed lands or pots. After ginger rhizomes are cut every two knuckles; it is planted on processed compost and soil (1:2 ratio). The cut seed is put in the nursery and covered with 2 cm soil. “Sprout will grow in five days. Then transplanting is conducted when it has at least three leaves,” Pak Pri explained.
He added that the maintenance of the red ginger nursery is relatively simple, through watering and spraying. Watering is performed to moist the soil, and spraying is conducted to apply fungicide on the area with fungal infection. Pak Pri also explained that in a 10×8 m bed nursery, farmers need 1 ton of seed for 1 ha plantation areas. He added that red ginger planted in 1:2 soil and compost have better growth. “With compost, the plant grows 76% with 11cm leaves length; without compost, the plant grows 56% and leaves the length of 9 cm,” he added.
At the end of the training, Pak Pri stated that the following program is mentoring nursery results and program evaluation. This community service program is expected to increase the red ginger yields from Wonorejo Village, Jatiyoso, Karanganyar District. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti