Mataram, Universitas Mataram – In 2022, Universitas Mataram received 6 Matching Fund grants from the Ministry of Higher Education and one of them is the Potato Agribusiness Partnership Matching Fund for the Indonesian Market, led by Ir. Aluh Nikmatullah, M.Agr.Sc., Ph.D., lecturer of Agroecotechnology study program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Mataram with partner PT Clarexido Makmur Sejahtera (PT CMS) in Bogor, national private enterprise of agriculture. On Saturday, November 12, 2022, the Potato Agribusiness Partnership Matching Fund team, together with industry partners, namely representatives of PT. Agra Intan Mandiri Sejahtera (AIMS) (a subsidiary of PT. Clarexindo Makmur Sejahtera (CMS)) assisted in planting G0 grade potato seeds certified with Chitra varieties, produced by PT AIMS for the propagation of Chitra variety quality seeds by a partner group in Sembalun, namely PT Sembalun Jaya Agro (PT SJA).

Aluh (team leader) said that the propagation of quality potato seeds by SJA follows the minimal technical requirements (PTM) for the production of quality scatter seeds for potato crops in accordance with the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 20 / Kpts / SR.130 / IV / 2014 concerning Propagation and Certification of Potato Seeds. The propagation of G0 seeds into scatter seeds in the field only has a multiplication rate of 10 times, so the production cost and price of certified G2 seeds are very expensive, namely Rp. 30,000–Rp. 40,000 per kg (not including shipping costs and seed health test costs). In this Matching Fund activity, quality seed propagation will apply the innovations of the Universitas Mataram, namely G0 propagation with repeated shoot cuttings, the innovation of Prof. H. M. Sarjan, M.Ag.CP., Ph.D. and a team from the National Strategic Excellence Research in 2013-2018.

The application of repeated shoot cuttings in the G2 seed production cycle from G0 can increase the multiplication of G0 tubers by 3-5 times, so that 30–40 tubers can be produced for each G0 mother plant. “Therefore, the Universitas Mataram’s shoot-cutting innovation is not only able to increase the rate at which G0 seeds multiply, but it is also expected to increase partner breeding profits and make seed prices more affordable for future farmers,” said Sarjan.

This seed production activity will be supervised by a lecturer at the University of Mataram, Ir. Aluh Nikmatullah, M.Agr.Sc., Ph.D. (team leader), Prof. H. M. Sarjan, M.Ag.CP., Ph.D. (OPT management), and Suprayanti Martia Dewi, S.P., M.Si. (technical production). The certification and labelling of seeds is an example of seed quality assurance. The seed certification process in this potato agribusiness partnership programme will be carried out by PT AIMS, which supervises this production process from site selection, planting process, maintenance, harvesting, and post-harvest of seeds. PT AIMS can certify seeds produced alone (or by its partner groups) because PT AIMS has obtained ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates for its quality management systems.

On the same day, the Potato Agribusiness Partnership Matching Fund team also supervised and assisted the production of industrial variety potato tubers (Chitra variety) and vegetable varieties for the potato agribusiness on-farm program. To be able to produce high-quality potato tubers that meet the demands of modern industries and markets, partner farmer groups must follow cultivation SOPs.The SOP applied and the partnership pattern between Universitas Mataram, PT CMS and partner farmers have been agreed upon at the FGD activity on October 22, 2022, and the technical production at the training on October 23, 2022. “However, Universitas Mataram and PT CMS provide assistance for the implementation of SOPs by partner groups, so that the harvest is in accordance with the expectations of the off-taker partner, namely PT CMS,” explained Aluh.

This activity involved 5 Universitas Mataram Lecturers, namely Ir. Aluh Nikmatullah, M.Agr.Sc., Ph.D. (team leader), Dr. Ir. Kisman, M.Si. (cultivation aspect), Ir. Hery Haryanto, M.Si. (aspect of OPT management), and Amrul Jihadi, M.Si. (aspects of implementing production SOPs). “The Chitra variety requires different cultivation techniques from vegetable varieties, especially since the cultivation is carried out in the rainy season, so the SOP of cultivation technology must be applied properly,” continued Kisman.

Hery, one of the team members, said that in the rainy season, periodic attention and observation should be carried out, especially for diseases caused by fungi and bacteria. Therefore, the management of the cultivation environment is one of the focuses in this assistance. The success and sustainability of this partnership programme demands the commitment of farmer groups with a partnership pattern, and the group is built through coaching carried out by Dr. Ir. Agus Purbathin Hadi, M.Si., a team member from the Communication Science Study Program at the Universitas Mataram. Agus said that “the coaching was carried out both in the seed producer group, the consumption tuber production group, and the group that carried out the processing of industrial variety potato tubers, fostered by Ihlana Nairfana, S.TP., M.Si., a member of the Matching Fund team from Sumbawa University of Technology.”.

The Matching Fund Program is one of the activities to support the implementation of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), which involves students and practitioners. Student involvement in this programme includes several schemes: internships, research and Teaching Practitioners. The student internship scheme in this mentoring activity was attended by as many as 10 people: 4 UTS students in tuber processing and 6 students of the Agroecotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Mataram. The six agroecotechnology students are Sandrina Mayreva Utomo (C1M21085), Baiq Mayani (C1M020022), Fitriananda (C1M020047), Anggie Oktavia (C1M0210001), I Made Rainandra Satya Vaisnawa (C1M021051), and Dian Apriani (C1M019033). Students admitted that they were very happy with this activity because they were immediately able to practise in the fields of quality potato seed production technology and industrial variety potato crop cultivation technology, including both aspects of cultivation and pest management as well as post-harvest and potato agribusiness. They hope to continue to receive guidance and direction from lecturers and practitioners so that they get real experience cultivating potato plants from scratch. Over the next few months, students will continue to be involved in observing the growth and management of seed and potato tuber production for special industrial and market needs.

In addition to internships, as many as 8 final semester students will be involved in conducting research on various aspects of potato plant studies. Dr. Aluh (three students) will conduct an agronomy study on Chitra variety potato plants, with one student providing guidance.Dr. Kisman will research the study of Chitra variety seeds, and four students of Prof. Sarjan will study aspects of Potato Plant organisms (OPT) of Chitra variety potato plants. This week, Nur Aenna Meidyawati Arimbi, Nurhidayati and Zulkarnain who are dr. Aluh guidance students, plan to start conducting agronomic studies on Saturday, November 19, 2022.

The research team of Universitas Mataram and PT. CMS hopes that this activity will be the beginning of re-cooperation between farmers and companies and will continue to take place in a sustainable manner. The hope is to increase the bargaining power of farmers and sustainable, mutually beneficial cooperation so that, in the end, it can increase the income and welfare of farmers in the Sembalun area. Internship and research students are expected to learn about potato plants and cultivation techniques directly from farmers and practitioners, so that the direct experience they gain as agricultural students can help them develop activities both while they are students and after they complete their studies at Universitas Mataram.