UNS — The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting not only the health sector but also other sectors such as food resilience. This condition encourages the Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Student Community Service Program (KKN) Team 24 to organize training for floating raft system hydroponic creation, in Pekalongan Village, Pati Municipality, last February. To minimize the Covid-19 transmission, the training was conducted virtually using Youtube Video in KKN UNS Pati 2021 and disseminated through Pekalongan Village Residents’ WhatsApp Group.
“This activity aims to increase the community’s food resilience in Pekalongan Village as well as introduce the residents to plant cultivation using floating raft system hydroponic,” explains the Leader of the KKN UNS Team 24, Maya Wiji Astuti on Friday (12/3/2021).
The floating raft system hydroponic is a cultivation method done by floating the seeds on the water surface. The cost to use this system is cheap and can be implemented in a small area such as front/back yard. Moreover, this hydroponic system also has other benefits such as easy maintenance, the plants can get enough nutrients and water supply.
“In general, this method is suitable for vegetables with short-life such as spinach, lettuce, kale, mustard greens, and chili peppers. Our team chooses Kale and spinach as the cultivated plant example,” explains the student from Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture (FP) UNS.
Other than the hydroponic training, the KKN Team also presented several supporting programs such as teaching the tree-planting culture from an early age and also medicinal plants cultivation in pots. These supporting programs are aimed at supporting one of the main programs, namely public education on food resilience during this pandemic era.
Even though the KKN programs were conducted virtually, the team hopes that they can have a real contribution in assisting the Pekalongan Village community. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
