OUTREACH ON RUBBER TREE CULTIVATION: UNSRI’S 94TH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM PARTNERS WITH THE TANJUNG BARU VILLAGE GOVERNMENT

In order to promote and educate residents of Tanjung Baru Village, Penukal Utara Subdistrict, Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir (PALI) Regency about rubber farming, the 94th cohort of the UNSRI Faculty of Agriculture’s Community Service Program (KKN), in collaboration with the Tanjung Baru Village Administration (July 10, 2021), held an outreach event on rubber tree cultivation and the production of organic fertilizer made from household vegetable waste. 

The event, held in the Tanjung Baru Village meeting hall, was attended by rubber farmers and village officials. It was received with enthusiasm and, adhering to COVID-19 health protocols, proceeded smoothly and successfully. 

In his opening remarks for the outreach session, Riski Tambunan—Chair of the UNSRI KKN Class 94 group for the Tanjung Baru area—accompanied by Village Head Asep Yuadi and his colleagues from various academic disciplines, expressed gratitude for the support of the Tanjung Baru Village Administration, which made this event possible.

The core activities of the outreach program—rubber tree cultivation and the production of organic fertilizer made from household vegetable waste— 

with the rubber tree cultivation session presented by Akbar Romadhan and Hendri

These two students provided a detailed explanation of

rubber tree management—from seedling production, planting, maintenance, and harvesting to strategies for controlling pests and diseases in rubber trees. 

During this segment, participants asked several questions regarding the management of rubber tree diseases, including leaf drop and white root rot. 

Consequently, these agriculture students addressed the issue wisely by focusing on proper care.

This was followed by the production of Local Organic Molasses (MOL) and its application to vegetable waste to create organic fertilizer. 

The practical session was led by Ahmad Nisar, Riski Tambunan, Ari, and Ivan.

Consequently, this segment captured the participants’ serious attention, as the agriculture students demonstrated organic fertilizers made from banana stems, rice washing water, and brown sugar. 

Observing this, one of the outreach participants, Ramsy, welcomed the agricultural academics’ suggestion to utilize vegetable waste to produce organic fertilizer in a low-cost and effective manner. 

Similarly, Asep Yuadi, Village Head of Tanjung Baru, expressed his appreciation for the dedication of the UNSRI 94 Community Service Program (KKN) students, who took the time to share their knowledge and experiences with the villagers. 

He explained that in addition to agriculture-related topics, the students also conducted activities to educate the community on the importance of health, the impacts of stunting, and the role of youth in development across all sectors. 

This energetic and talented Village Head took this opportunity to urge his residents and the UNSRI KKN 94 students to remain vigilant against the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to health protocols and maintaining social distancing.