[Unpad Media Channel] A team of Unpad students from the Faculty of Animal Husbandry (Fapet) have come up with an innovative solution to help deal with crises surrounding animal feed for dairy goats. The idea came from the issues faced by farmers in Sumedang, who are part of the Simpay Tampomas farmer group.
The students, namely Ragil Muhammad Ridho, Nadira Nurul Izza, and Sekarupa Rengganis Nusantara, make up a team participating in the PKM-PI, a nationwide student’s competition for innovative applications of technology and science. Their team was successful in attaining funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek).
Under the guidance of Unpad Fapet professor, Ir. Raden Febrianto Christi, M.S., IPM., the team successfully developed Hydertetoyer. It is a piece of technology which is expected to provide sustainable solutions for farmers and their communities.
In a release received by Unpad Media Channel, Hydertetoyer, short for Hydroponic Fodder with Temperature Sensor and Automatic Sprayer, is an improvement for hydroponic systems for growing fodder. The technology can automatically control the situation of the system’s environment in terms of temperature, humidity, and light.
Controlling the environment in such a way is done to prevent the growth of mold, which usually manifests during the seeding of the plants. With that in mind, the team also developed a method of utilizing local corn as the main ingredient of the animal feed, replacing barley, which is globally used.
“The adoption of corn provides a sustainable solution for the farmers. Hydertetoyer can maximize the production of feed in a short amount of time, and with efficient costs,” said Ragil.
By applying Hydertetoyer, the Simpay Tampomas farmers and their community are expected to experience substantial benefits, such as the improvement of the quality and quantity of their dairy goat produce, lowering of feed costs, as well as the recovery of the ecosystem of their degraded soil.
Furthermore, Hydertetoyer could also become an inspiration for the development of sustainable agriculture innovations in many regions. “With Hydertetoyer, we are certain that the future of Indonesian agriculture could become brighter and more sustainable,” concluded Ragil. (rilis/Agus/ICP)*
