Digital Extension Society for Agriculture Application Universitas Gadjah Mada (Desa Apps UGM) has participated in ICTforAg 2024 annual convening where agrifood system stakeholders, technology experts, and enthusiasts gather to share knowledge, find solutions, and form partnerships to address challenges in agrifood systems across low and middle-income countries. The event was held on 28^th-30^th May 2024 simultanously in 5 countries: New Delhi (India), Nairobi (Kenya), Texcoco (Mexico), Philippines; and Washington DC (USA). It also took place online via Zoom. This becomes a great opportunity to introduce Desa Apps UGM to the global society, specifically concering about digital agriculture that has been burgeoning issues within the last decade.

This year, the annual convening was attended by 314 participants from Asia and Pacific, US, Europe, and Africa with 103 sessions in total. In this occasion, Desa Apps UGM shared about its experience in managing programs related to digital agriculture and developing platform for digital extension. The topic of presentation was “How UGM’s Digital Extension Society for Agriculture Developed A Successful Digital Extension Platform ‘Lentera DESA’ To Smallholder Farmers In Indonesia” delivered by Nurul Trya Wulandari as the Operations Manager of Desa Apps UGM and Anthony Harm Spoor as the expert partner since 2021.

Desa Apps UGM developed an Android-based mobile app ‘Desa Apps’ in 2017 (see: https://desa-apps.ugm.ac.id/). Then, in 2021 with support from PUM (Programma Uitzending Managers) Netherlands Senior Experts and PT. Wijaya Karya, it developed a website-based platform ‘Lentera DESA’ that provides features for online training in agriculture-related topics, including fisheries and animal husbandry (see: https://lenteradesa.id/). Moreover, Desa Apps UGM uses social media to disseminate information and knowledge about research and innovation in agriculture. It aims to help farmers and extension workers grab information in a more efficient way regardless time and geographical boundaries through internet and their devices. Aside from those, it also develops ‘Bincang Desa’ to facilitate interactive discussions among farmers, experts, and extension workers.

Nurul and Harm also talked about Desa Apps UGM’s challenges and strategies within the last 4 years to develop. Partnerships, experts’ support from the university, and using data-generated decisions were keys to keep sustain. Data becomes pivotal, so this organisation uses all information from its platform’s database, social media’s data insight, and other supporting data. In this presentation, they also shared about how Desa Apps UGM introduced a blended learning for agricultural extension combining conventional or field visit and online methods using ‘Lentera DESA’. It was found that field facilitators were key to help farmers adopt digital technology. For further information, the full recorded presentation is accessible via this link: http://ugm.id/ICTforAgDesaAppsUGM.

This collaboration is also a concrete manifestation of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to achieve SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 14: Life Below Water, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Reported by: Nurul Trya W.

Dalam rangka mendukung visi Smart Eco Bioproduction, Fakultas Pertanian UGM melakukan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat dengan mengimplementasikan konsep smart farming untuk pengembangan produksi dan pemuliaan melon premium di greenhouse Pesantren Madania Bantul, DIY. Konsep smart farming diimplementasikan melalui teknologi manajemen nutrisi yang merupakan bantuan dari Bank Indonesia untuk Pesantren Madania, salah satu penerima dari sembilan pesantren di Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.

Agus Budi Setiawan, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D., dosen Departemen Budidaya Pertanian UGM, menjelaskan bahwa teknologi pertanian cerdas yang diimplementasikan bertujuan untuk membantu petani dalam pengelolaan nutrisi tanaman secara presisi dan terkontrol dari segi konsentrasi dan jumlah yang dibutuhkan tanaman. Teknologi tersebut juga diintegrasikan dengan sistem yang mampu memberikan informasi faktual terkait kondisi mikroklimat di dalam greenhouse dan media tanam yang dapat mengukur suhu lingkungan, suhu tanah, kelembaban tanah dan udara, serta intensitas cahaya matahari.

“Melalui teknologi ini, beberapa faktor lingkungan yang perlu diperhatikan akan secara otomatis terekam dan datanya bisa diunduh. Selain itu, teknologi ini juga memungkinkan kita untuk melakukan pengendalian faktor lingkungan dan melakukan penyesuaian secara otomatis yang disesuaikan dengan syarat tumbuh ideal yang dibutuhkan tanaman melon,” jelas Agus.

Salah satu contohnya adalah pengukuran atau setting suhu lingkungan yang diberi batasan maksimal 33^oC. Apabila sensor mendeteksi suhu lingkungan lebih dari nilai yang telah ditetapkan tersebut, maka system secara otomatis akan mengeluarkan udara panas melalui kipas atau exhaust fan.

Agus menambahkan, Electrical conductivity (EC) dan pH larutan nutrisi terukur di dalam dua tandon telah diatur secara otomatis untuk diberikan ke tanaman secara periodik melalui sistem irigasi tetes (drip). Dengan adanya sistem pertanian cerdas ini, tidak hanya bisa dimanfaatkan untuk produksi, tetapi juga untuk pemuliaan melon premium, utamanya untuk mempercepat waktu seleksi dalam 1 tahun yang dapat mencapai hingga lima generasi dibandingkan dengan budidaya melon di lahan terbuka.

Implementasi konsep smart farming ini menjadi wujud nyata upaya Fakultas Pertanian UGM untuk mencapai tujuan SDG 2: Tanpa Kelaparan, SDG 9: Industri Inovasi dan Infrastruktur, SDG 12: Konsumsi dan produksi yang bertanggung jawab, dan SDG 17: Kemitraan untuk Mencapai Tujuan.

Penulis: Hanita Athasari Zain

Editor: Agus Budi Setiawan

Delegasi Kementerian Pertanian, Air, dan Reformasi Lahan Namibia mengunjungi Fakultas Pertanian UGM pada Rabu, 22 Mei 2024. Delegasi yang terdiri dari executive director, Wakil Direktur Perdagangan dan Pembangunan Pertanian, Kepala Dokter Hewan Direktorat Pelayanan Kedokteran Hewan, dan jajaran lainnya diterima secara langsung oleh Wakil Dekan Bidang Keuangan, Aset, dan SDM Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Dr. R.A. Siti Ari Budhiyanti, S.T.P., M.P., di Venture Lab Gedung AGLC.

“Kami menyambut baik kunjungan delegasi Namibia untuk bersama-sama mendiskusikan program ketahanan pangan di Namibia dan Indonesia. UGM sendiri telah memiliki sejarah kerja sama dengan Namibia sejak tahun 2009, sehingga kunjungan hari ini harapannya bisa memperpanjang kolaborasi kita,” ujar wakil dekan yang kerap disapa Sita.

Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata selaku executive director Kementerian Pertanian, Air, dan Reformasi Lahan Namibia menyampaikan bahwa kedatangannya bersama rekan-rekan lain bermaksud untuk membangun relasi dan kerja sama dengan Fakultas Pertanian UGM.

“Kami sangat tertarik untuk bekerja sama dengan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, utamanya dalam hal mengembangkan produksi benih tanaman pangan,” ujarnya.

Kunjungan yang disertai dengan diskusi tersebut dihadiri pula oleh para Ketua dan Sekretaris Departemen, serta Kepala Unit di wilayah Fakultas Pertanian, Salah satunya adalah Prof. Taryono, Guru Besar di Departemen Budidaya Pertanian yang menjelaskan mengenai pentingnya pemanfaatan mikroba dalam meningkatkan produktivitas tanaman pangan.

Setelah agenda diskusi, delegasi Namibia didampingi para dosen melakukan kunjungan ke laboratorium yang ada di Fakultas Pertanian UGM, terutama laboratoium pemuliaan tanaman dan teknologi perbenihan. Kunjungan laboratorium ini menyoroti dasar kolaborasi berkelanjutan dalam pelaksanaan pengajaran dan penelitian. Kemudian, delegasi Namibia melanjutkan kunjungannya ke Pusat Inovasi Agroteknologi (PIAT) UGM dan diperkenalkan dengan fasilitas-fasilitas yang ada, salah satunya mesin pengering silo padi yang memiliki peran penting dalam pemrosesan pasca panen.

Kunjungan ini menunjukkan upaya Fakultas Pertanian UGM bersama Namibia untuk mencapai tujuan SDG 2: Tanpa Kelaparan, SDG 12: Konsumsi dan produksi yang bertanggung jawab, dan SDG 17: Kemitraan untuk Mencapai Tujuan.

Penulis: Hanita Athasari Zain

Editor: Desi Utami

Foto: Media Faperta UGM

Micro-credentials (MC) are gaining popularity and competing more with traditional higher education programs, following swift changes in the global job market. To ensure the quality micro-credentials, Institutions should strive to grow and develop their programs to provide more online learning access for the wider community. To achieve this aim, Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, S.P., M.Si., Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Agriculture UGM along with UGM Vice Rector for Education and Learning UGM, Dean of Faculty of Animal Sciences, Head of Sub-Directorate Academic Studies, and Manager of UGM online attended a Workshop on Building a Common Understanding and Set of Policies for Micro-credentials in Los Banos, Philippine. The workshop was hosted by The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on 6-7 May 2024. 

UGM as a core member of SEARCA and University Consortium (UC) took a part as the leader in the Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) together with Kasetsart University, Thailand. The workshop was attended by the delegations from UGM, Institut Pertanian Bogor and Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia), University of the Philippines Los Banos, Central Luzon State University, and Visayas State University (Philippine), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Malaysia), Maejo University and Kasetsart University (Thailand). This project aimed to discuss and reach an agreement on how to harmonize the existing university policies in the development and delivery of micro-credentials and was funded by the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program. 

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director and Head of the UC Secretariat, welcomed all the participations and highlighted the important role of policies to guarantee quality higher education. 

Faculty of Agriculture UGM was actively participating in the workshop as our programs is closely related to the field of Food Security and Climate Change (FSCC), in addition, we are also the members of UC. Dr. Dyah Weny Respatie, S.P., M.Si, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs of Faculty of Agriculture highlighted that the policies in MC among the UC members is linked to our policies including its implementation in our graduate programs. Dyah added that preparation of Micro-credentials for postgraduates will open up the opportunities for our postgraduate students to take international courses and competencies. “The offered module is compatible with our master’s Study Program which can be implemented in the master’s Program curriculum” said Dyah. 

In addition, Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, SS, M.Hum., DEA, UGM Vice Rector for Education and Learning, stated that UGM’s involvement in the PMC FSCC module development is part of implementation of our commitment to provide opportunity for community to access the development of science and technology through learning platforms on ugmonline.id channel. 

UGM as the leader of PMC FSCC module development also delivered a presentation on the survey findings conducted among the project participants during the workshop. The purpose of the survey was to understand about the rules and regulations pertaining to MC in each university. Through this discussion session, a draft report on harmonizing university policies to develop micro-credentials was created. 

The development of the PMC FSCC module will be legitimate contributions from UGM in the implementation of sustainable development goals, especially in SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. 

Author : Desi Utami

International Seminar Asia Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Marketing by AMF (Asia Marketing Federation) and ACSB (Asia Committee for Small Business) has held in Auditorium Prof. Harjono Danoesastro, Faculty of Agriculture UGM  on Friday, 3 May 2024. This event attended by a number of students and participants of the Bella Awards 2024.

Prof. Subejo, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D. as a Vice Dean for Research, Community Service and Cooperation Faculty of Agriculture UGM opened the event and warmly welcomed the attendees.

“Hopefully this event will add our insights related to agribusiness and sustainable development, especially in the agricultural sector,” said Prof. Subejo.

On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Syed Ferhat Anwar as President of AMF, explained about global food security and sustainable development related in agriculture. He argued that at least there are three components of future business, including environmental, social, and governance. According to him, Sustainable Agri Brand Building is the way that can be done.

“Sustainable Agri Brand is when we focusing on integration of environmental, social, and governance principles within the entire value chain of brand management through a unique differentiator,” told him.

Giving another warm welcome, Prof. Dr. Mosaddak Ahmed Chowdhury as the President of ACSB appreciated this event for opening up insights into agribusiness through panel discussions by experts. He was grateful for the time and space provided by the Faculty of Agriculture UGM.

This event is also a concrete manifestation of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to achieve SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Wilhelmina Alexandra Valmay Putri Aberth

Editor: Hanita Athasari Zain

Fakultas Pertanian UGM meresmikan program vokasional yang dikemas dalam bentuk studi Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) bersama Markplus Corp (MCorp), perusahaan pionir bidang marketing di Indonesia. Program DBA dengan peminatan Agribusiness Entrepreneurial Marketing (AEM) tersebut menjadi program DBA pertama di Indonesia dan telah diresmikan pada perayaan ulang tahun ke-34 MCorp pada Rabu, 1 Mei 2024 bertempat di Gedung AGLC, Fakultas Pertanian UGM.

Perayaan ulang tahun ke-34 MCorp mengusung tema ”Unstoppable”. Menurut Hermawan Kertajaya, founder dan chairman MCorp, peresmian program DBA di Fakultas Pertanian UGM menjadi wujud nyata tema tersebut.

“DBA pertama di Indonesia ini kita rencanakan sebagai bentuk mendorong Indonesia untuk lebih maju dengan orang-orang yang profesional di dalamnya. Hal ini menjadi wujud bagaimana Indonesia adalah negara yang tak terhentikan (Unstoppable) sesuai tema tahun ini,” ujar Hermawan.

Selain itu, Dekan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D. menegaskan, program DBA AEM akan berperan untuk melahirkan SDM profesional di bidang agribisnis dengan mempelajari pengelolaan risiko dan pasar.

“Indonesia dihadapkan dengan tantangan menaikkan produksi pangan hingga 70% agar di tahun 2050 mendatang tidak terjadi kelaparan. Pertanian di Indonesia sendiri merupakan sektor bisnis yang menjanjikan, tetapi risikonya pun besar, sehingga adanya program DBA AEM ini adalah upaya untuk menjawab tantangan tersebut,” jelas Dekan.

Peresmian program DBA AEM juga menandai resminya Fakultas Pertanian UGM sebagai kantor cabang MCorp di Yogyakarta yang diluncurkan oleh Hermawan Kertajaya dan Wakil Rektor Bidang Perencanaan, Aset, dan Sistem Informasi UGM, Arief Setiawan Budi Nugroho, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. Arief menyampaikan, kerja sama Fakultas Pertanian UGM bersama MCorp diharapkan mampu melahirkan SDM di bidang agribisnis yang mampu menjawab tantangan di era mendatang dengan kreativitas dan daya pikir inovatif.

Tak berhenti dengan MCorp saja, Fakultas Pertanian UGM memperluas jaringan dengan Asia Marketing Federation (AMF) dan Asia Committee for Small Business (ACSB) untuk memperkuat jalannya program DBA AEM. Kerja sama tersebut ditandai dengan penandatanganan Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) oleh Dekan Fakultas Pertanian UGM, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Editor Bangladesh Brand Forum sebagai perwakilan President of AMF, dan President of ACSB.

Berbagai bentuk kerja sama ini membuktikan upaya kuat dari Fakultas Pertanian UGM dalam mencapai tujuan SDGs, seperti tujuan SDG 1: Tanpa Kemiskinan, SDG 2: Tanpa Kelaparan, SDG 4: Pendidikan Berkualitas, dan SDG 17: Kemitraan untuk Mencapai Tujuan.

Penulis: Hanita Athasari Zain

Foto: Media Faperta UGM

On Thursday, 21 March 2024, a meeting was held at Faculty of Agriculture UGM regarding the initiation of an academic collaboration between Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University and Faculty of Agriculture UGM on double degree program for Master’s study programs. The meeting was attended by Dean, Vice Deans, Department Heads and Master Study Program Heads in Agriculture study field of Faculty of Agriculture UGM, and Coordinator of Academic Exchange from Yamagata University, Prof. Keitaro Tawaraya.

During the meeting, both parties delved into the configuration of partnership’s agreement, formulating the most feasible and beneficial scheme for the students and institutions. As a highlight, the double degree program will enable Master’s students to acquire two Master’s degrees in two years, with one year study at Host University. Regarding the thesis supervision, the students will have supervisors from Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University and Faculty of Agriculture UGM.

Prof. Tawaraya stated, “There will be one main supervisor and one sub-supervisor from home university, also one sub-supervisor from the other university.”

The productive engagement meeting was fruitful and received positive responses from both sides. It was definitely not the final meeting, but it was a beginning step towards further discussion. Hopefully, the partnership itself and the outcomes of upcoming double degree programs will contribute to the achievement of SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Stay tuned for further details as the academic collaboration between Faculty of Agriculture UGM and Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University continues to establish.

Author : Sha

Editor  : Hanita Athasari Zain

Delegates of the University of Queensland (UQ) Australia met with the dean, vice deans, and faculty members of Faculty of Agriculture UGM on Friday, 1 March 2024, in Dean’s Meeting Room. The meeting aimed to explore and discuss the prospects of international academic collaboration between Faculty of Science UQ and Faculty of Agriculture UGM.

UQ is one of the Top 50 Universities with several study fields related to Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s ones, mainly in biotechnology, agribusiness, and marine. The fruitful discussion discovered several potential schemes for international academic partnership, including short study program and double degree international program. This is an encouraging news since Faculty of Agriculture UGM has developed a program named international undergraduate class (IUC) which international exposure is part of the curriculum.

The Dean, Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D., explained, “We already prepared the students for international academic collaboration.” The discussion between both esteemed institutions was not the end. In fact, the partnership initiation has just begun.

In conclusion, both Faculty of Agriculture UGM and Faculty of Science UQ have a shared vision for academic excellence. Hopefully, the future collaboration is not merely to benefit both institutions, but also contribute to the broader academic community. This collaboration is also a concrete manifestation of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to achieve SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Sha

Dr. Maja Slingerland, associate professor from Wageningen University and Research, gave a guest lecture at Faculty of Agriculture UGM on 2 February 2024. As an expert on palm oil for 15 years, she started her presentation by underlining that farmers are the part of the supply chain which means that farmer is a key for all things. Thus, she is interested in farming systems and look at the social, technical, economical, and other aspects, like what she is doing in The SustainPalm Program.

Dr. Maja explained, SustainPalm Program identifies practices based on ecological and social improvement potential while reducing greenhouse gases and biodiversity through four big activities, including increasing the oil yield, integrating livestock with palm and intercropping, adding value of by-products of palm oil, and finding the alternatives of palm oil on peat.

“If you look at the integration of palm oil and other crops, there are a lot of assumed benefits such as income gap. It means that if you just put palm oil, you have to wait for the palm to produce fruit which takes a few years without any income that you get. So, it is much better if you have something in between the palms to give you annual income and become more resilient,” she added.

Other than that, Dr. Maja explained intercropping system of palm oil with other crops. She showed some cases of intercropping system implementation that she learned. There is an example from Central Kalimantan where palm oil is intercropped with banana and coffee. Next, in Bengkulu, there are 92 hectares of palm oil planted with watermelon. From these intercropping system examples, Dr. Maja underlined that the SustainPalm Program focuses to monitor the economics, effects on palm oil, biodiversity, and reduce the greenhouse gases.

After Dr. Maja’s presentation, the guest lecture continued with a question and answer session moderated by Mr. Andi Syahid Muttaqin, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D., a lecturer from Department of Soil, Faculty of Agriculture UGM. For the closing statement, Dr. Maja expressed her hope that the guest lecture participants would be inspired to carry out and be involved actively in more research related to sustainable palm oil systems.

This collaboration is also a concrete manifestation of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to achieve SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Author: Hanita Athasari Zain

Photos: Media Faperta UGM