By: Lilis Heri *)
Jakarta, CIDISS –The smoke into the warm criticized because capped the large parts of Sumatra and Borneo during the dry season. The effect does not simply the breath, but also death.
Why smokes appear? Because of there is burning, regardless of who the perpetrators and the actual goal. For certain parties, such as in the area of the fields moved to land burned, the intent is to restore fertility, and simplify the planting in the rainy season. In fact, it does not the case. Because by burning the land, the fact, it make throw out the nutrient elements, which can be used for fertility.
Such habitual, it could be due to ignorance of the benefits of land that burned it, the example on the rice farm. Because their habit land burned, they also get used to burn straw after harvesting or other biomass.
Indeed, the resulting of biomass by burned plant or straws it is capable of generating great benefits. Burning land should be prevented through a notification to the community. In the application of technology of cultivation of rice waste, for example; about organic fertilizer, surely this can support sustainable development.
How is the strategy? First, the Government and all stakeholders work together and work hard to change mindsets and pattern about how to open the land. Second, the need for public awareness through adult learning, particularly in an area accustomed to land burned.
Such through the dissemination of technology, KIE, make pilot project in mass and real ways of exploiting technology in the processing of organic land. Third, do the training communities to build farm organically, for example, utilizing straw and or biomass as rice cultivation media on the next season planting.
Why compost is rarely used, meanwhile it is more cost-saving production? Do they do not know how to make it and the benefit? or a narrow mindset? Or there has been no tangible success example?
The application of organic fertilizer
The author through outreach programs, assisted by Ir Endih Herawandih, MM, expert of Bogor agricultural University alumni, apply the manufacture of organic fertilizer in the village of Kampung Baru, Kecamatan Katingan Kuala, Katingan Regency, about how to use bio-activator, bio-fungicide, and soil balancer that enriched with manure.
Bio-activator used to accelerate the decomposition of biomass and degeneration. Bio-fungicide is a formula with active ingredient trichoderma that serves to prevent transmission of disease tular soil (soil-borne disease) enriched with lime and cellulose, thus forming a composition rich in nutrient elements and preventing diseases caused by fungi and bacteria.
Whereas, the soil is a formula-based balancer active bacteria results in extraction of peat that serves to correct the soil PH on turf land. This material is used to enrich the resulting organic fertilizer products. The addition of manure intended to remedy the shortage of nutrient elements in the straw.
With the addition of manure resulting products are expected to have complete nutrient elements, necessary for the plant.
The basic ingredients of making compost in the form of hay or other available biomass on site, for example, utilizing the ferns that often grows in peat or shrubs or reeds. The important all kinds of biomass contained nature including the green foliage.
Savings with organic fertilizer
Land in Central Kalimantan contained lots of biomass potential. In addition to containing complete nutrient elements, as well as his crushing cleanup is not too difficult. Simply using simple machine commonly used for counting wood (wood chipper), if any timber or just use the brush chipper.
If society wants to do the land clearing, then simply do the biomass crushing or biomass destruction became part of a small and easily decomposed using bio-activator. This effort has done to reduce the habit of burning land for land preparation before planting annuals or annual plant.
Organic fertilizer (compost) is very rich in nutrient elements, e.g. for planting rice. How much the availability of nutrients if we make compost from around the straw we produce each harvest? The potential of rice has 1.4 times more or less of the grain harvest.
For example, each of the resulting grain harvests 5 tons per hectare. Then its straw is as much as 7 tons per hectare. Straw made compost, the sample is 60%. One hectare of rice field generated 4.2 tons of compost. It is clear; in one hectare of rice field straw compost can produce 173.5 kg urea; 24.4 kg SP36; 376.74 kg of KCl; or a total of 572.3 kg of NPK. It is indeed a saving. Not only saves the cost of agricultural production, but also prevent disasters and health problems.
The savings are quite astounding. How much does! If organic fertilizer chemical fertilizer equivalent is calculated by the amount of money, then fit the highest retail price (HET) subsidized fertilizer for agriculture fiscal year 2015, per kilogram: urea fertilizer at IDR 1,800; fertilizer SP-36 IDR2 thousand, IDR 1,400, ZA fertilizer a fertilizer NPK IDR 2,300, organic fertilizer = IDR 500.
If residents have a whole wetland area of 600 hectares, the utilization of rice straw can provide additional economic benefits. How much does, from the calculation result, rice straw economic benefits obtained amounted to IDR 1,26 billion. Wonderful, isn’t it?
Straw compost for 4 – 6 of the season, are also capable of improving the health of the land and increase the productivity of rice plant about 25%. Soil organic matter provides enough food for activity remains miniscule. At the same time, it help to improve the weathering (decomposition) organic matter, aggregate stability, soil improve and increase power to recover ground.
Plants are nurtured with compost tend to be safer for health. Generally, more resistant crops saved, more weight, more fresh, and taste good. So there are many benefits, right. Then why do not try it? How to save and prevent smoke, and how to save the cost of agricultural production (mainly rice).
As a form of implementation, the authors do public service through the utilization of straw or waste biomass reeds, or shrubs. A pilot activity and awareness of the community make use of waste into organic fertilizer. But the effort to change society’s awareness and behavior patterns is not easy, need time and diligence. [LH]
*) Community-Servants of the Indonesia University
