UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga students continue to make creations and works. This time, five UNAIR students used doub palm (siwalan) husk to be organic pesticide. The team which qualified for the Ministry of Research and Higher Education funding in the Student Creativity Program in Community Service (PKM M) conducted their activity in Semanding Village, Semanding Sub-district, Tuban Regency.
Liquid Smoke or ACAR PKM M team consist of Teguh Dwi Saputro, class 2015 Faculty of Nursing (FKp) student, Tiyani, class 2018 FKp student, Achmad Ferdynan Thomas Irwan, class 2018 FKp student, Novia Tri Handika, class 2016 FKp student and Nova Faridatus Sholihah, class 2015 Faculty of Science and Technology student.
Teguh, as one of the team members said that siwalan is a type of palm plant that grows in Indonesia, including in Tuban Regency. The siwalan tree, he continued, is used for its leaves, stems, fruit, until sprout which is tapped and drunk directly as legen or processed into siwan sugar (a type of brown sugar).
“But the use of siwalan trees also produces siwalan husk which is thrown away, and it accumulates and becomes waste. The doub palm husk waste can actually be used and has the potential to improve the economy of the community. It can be used as liquid smoke, organic pesticide, “he explained.
With his idea, Teguh invited Tiyani, Achmad Ferdynan Thomas Irwan, Novia Tri Handika, and Nova Faridatus Sholihah, to develop innovation by utilizing siwalan husk into liquid smoke as an organic pesticide. Inorganic pesticide is used more because it affects faster than organic pesticide.
“But keep in mind that the use of uncontrolled inorganic pesticides will cause resistance to plant pests, the nutritional content of plants mixed with pesticides is more expensive compared to organic pesticides and natural predators are reduced, and new pests can emerge,” he explained.
Teguh also said that inorganic pesticide also endangers the environment. Therefore, the innovation of ACAR as organic pesticide can answer these problems. It was supported by data obtained from the literature studies conducted.
“The study shows that Semanding villagers who mostly work as farmers, make ACAR innovation as an organic pesticide because it is effective and will benefit the farmers,” he said.
In the end, Tiyani as team leader of ACAR Team said that the use of liquid smoke from siwalan husk waste could compete with inorganic pesticides which had been used by the public as it brings a negative impact on the environment.
“We hope that this innovation will be supported by Tuban regency government. We also hope that this village will be the pilot project village or region, “he concluded.
Author: Teguh Dwi Saputro
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
