The Community Service Team (Pengmas) from the Bioprocess Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) conducted butter avocado cultivation training for avocado farmers in Iwul Village, in collaboration with the Center for Tropical Horticultural Studies, Bogor Agricultural University. Avocado farmers in Iwul Village, Bogor, West Java, are one of the many farming communities that choose butter avocados for cultivation. Unfortunately, the plan to transfer land in their area has not been realized, even though this is necessary for the development of avocado butter farming in the future.
The team conducted “Training for Trainers” and education related to how to cultivate avocados and a dense planting system for butter avocado farmers in Sukamantri, Bogor, West Java. In this activity, the participants were given materials and practices related to selecting seeds and varieties, preparing rootstock seeds, sowing rootstock seeds, and preparing scion for grafting.
Butter avocado or also called Cipedak avocado is originally from Jakarta and its surroundings. This avocado is included in the superior type of avocado because it has fruit with thick flesh, chewy texture, yellow flesh, and clean like butter. Avocado butter with its superiority increases people’s interest in this fruit, so the selling price is higher.
The FTUI Community Service Team consists of Dr. Kenny Lischer, S.T., M.T.; Apriliana Cahya Khayrani, S.TP., M.Eng., Ph.D.; and Retno Wahyu Nurhayati, S.TP., M.Eng., Ph.D.Eng. “We chose the top grafting technique because of its advantages over seed and grafting techniques. By using the top grafting technique, success can be seen in an average of three weeks compared to grafting which can take up to six months. Cultivation with top grafting is also carried out to speed up the avocado fertilization process compared to planting from seed,” said Dr. Kenny Lischer.
In addition to a faster fertilization process, the grafting technique also does not require large areas of land for the cultivation process. More than 50 trees from the top grafting training can be planted in an area of 1 x 2 meters per square meter. These 50 trees were the result of the training from farmer trainers to the farming community and surrounding community which was held on Monday, November 28, 2022. The farmer trainers proved to be able to provide the material well and were welcomed by the enthusiasm of the participants to practice directly.
“Thanks to this top grafting training activity, I got more knowledge regarding the correct way to carry out butter avocado cultivation activities. Previously, I tried it myself but always failed. I just found out the cause and the right way here,” said Pak Harlian, Head of the Avocado Farmer of Iwul Village, Bogor who is also a participant in the Training for Trainers of Avocado Butter Cultivation.
Meanwhile, Mursyid, who participated in the training activities of farmer trainers, also welcomed this activity. “This activity is very useful. Those of us who didn’t know before were given knowledge and training until we came to know and succeeded in trying to do it,” he said.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU expressed his hope that this community service activity could provide superior benefits and have an impact on the community, especially the participants. “Hopefully the training participants can carry out their cultivation and train others in activities that are useful in improving the economy of residents, especially through avocado cultivation. Moreover, this fruit is one of the potential commodities to get development priorities nationally,” said Prof. Harry.
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Bureau of Public Communications
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia