Ngantang, Malang Regency—In an effort to support local potential development, a team of lecturers from the Agrotechnology Study Program at Muhammadiyah University of Malang has carried out a community service program in Kaumrejo Village, Ngantang District, Malang Regency. This program aims to transform Kaumrejo Village into a vegetable and fruit-based tourism village while enhancing the empowerment of local residents.
The community service program is led by a team of lecturers comprising Ms. Dian Indratmi, Ms. Dyah Roeswitawati, and Mr. Ali Ikhwan. They focus on introducing environmentally friendly agricultural technologies, particularly utilizing specific plants as natural pesticides.
Introduced Technology
The training was conducted using lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. The lectures were delivered through PowerPoint presentations, videos, and LCD assistance. After the lecture sessions, a discussion between the resource persons and participants followed. The team then demonstrated the technique for making organic pesticides, which was succeeded by practical sessions for participants, from preparation to producing packaged products. After the series of training sessions, an evaluation of the activities was conducted.
Practical Session on Making Organic Pesticides
The production of organic pesticides involved using papaya leaves and garlic, referring to the study by Yunie et al. (2013) employing the maceration extraction method with methanol solvent. Below are the steps:
Raw Materials:
Papaya leaves, broadleaf weeds, and garlic.
Wash the raw materials thoroughly with water, then dry them under sunlight until dry.
Blend the dried materials and sieve them to obtain particles of 30 mesh size.
Soaking:
Mix 100 g of raw materials (50 g papaya leaves/broadleaf weeds and 50 g garlic) with 400 ml of 70% methanol solvent.
Place in a tightly closed container, soak for 7 days, and stir periodically to ensure proper mixing.
Filtration:
Use Whatman filter paper to filter the solution to obtain a filtrate free from large particles.
Distillation:
Heat the filtrate at 80°C for about 50 minutes until alcohol no longer drips into the Erlenmeyer flask. This process yields an alcohol-free organic pesticide extract.
Activity Evaluation
The training evaluation was conducted on the materials provided, the trainers and facilitators, infrastructure, as well as the readiness and responses of the participants. Questionnaires were distributed immediately after the training. The results were analyzed to draw conclusions on various aspects evaluated and to identify areas for improvement in future programs.
Educational Tourism Village
In the long term, Kaumrejo Village is expected not only to produce high-quality agricultural products but also to become an educational tourism destination. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about organic farming practices, from planting to processing harvests. This concept is believed to attract tourists while adding value to the village's economy.
Community Enthusiasm
The program received warm responses from the residents of Kaumrejo Village. Local farmers participating in the training expressed their gratitude for the new knowledge they gained. "We are greatly helped by this training. Now we know how to make our own natural pesticides and hope to improve our harvests," said one participant.
Commitment to Sustainability
The lecturer team affirmed their commitment to continuously assist Kaumrejo Village in developing this tourism village. "We hope that through this program, Kaumrejo Village can become a successful and sustainable example of an organic farming-based tourism village," stated Ms. Dian Indratmi.
This community service program is part of efforts to support village development based on local potential. With collaboration among academics, the community, and village authorities, Kaumrejo Village has great potential to grow into an innovative and attractive tourism destination.
(Izz.red)
