PKM Follow-up on the Use of Fish Breeding Pond Water for Cultivating Spice and Medicinal Plants in Religious Agrotourism Gardens in Padanglampe Village, PANGKEP Regency

Community Service Institution (LPkM)Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) provides funding injections to its lecturers in all faculties at UMI to carry out community service activities in several assisted villages by collaborating with or involving students.  Dr. Ir. Abdul Haris, MP, one of the lecturers who received service funds in Binaa Village, namely in Padang Lampe Village, Ma'rang District, Pangkep Regency. In this village, the location was at the Darul Mukhlisin Islamic Boarding School Agrotourism Garden in Padanglampe Village, Ma'rang District, Pangkep Regency.

This program aims to help the Darul Mukhlisin Agrotourism Farmers Group overcome the problems of cultivating spice and medicinal plants, especially during the dry season.  Dr. Abdul Haris, M.P., as chairman of the team consisting of Dr. Ir. Iskandar Hasan, MSi. and assisted  by two active students when met by the media crew explained that one of the main problems found at the Darul Mukhlisin Islamic boarding school during the dry season was limited water. In fact, there are fish rearing ponds that have the potential to become a source of raw water. For this reason, the service team offers solutions in the form of installing water pumps and implementing water-saving plant cultivation techniques.

The direction of this service advocates for the group to use the ablution water and then add it to the fish rearing pond which is located about 100 meters from the medicinal plant garden. With pumping technology, the water is channeled into a reservoir and then distributed to the garden using a water pipe installation.  "This technique makes use of wasted water so that its use can support the sustainability of cultivation," he said.

Not only done with dealing with limited water during the dry season, farmer groups also face other challenges in cultivating spices and medicinal plants, namely increasing production costs such as dependence on synthetic fertilizers and the use of chemical pesticides. These problems almost coincide because  plants given fertilizer often still die if they lack water.  "Therefore, this solution is a strategic step to reduce production costs while increasing efficiency in Islamic boarding school-based cultivation techniques," said Abdul Haris.

When asked what are the stages of implementing PkM activities? Abdul added that  all stages of activities including preparation of tools and materials, installation of holding tanks measuring 200 cm x 100 cm x 120 cm, installation of 100 meter long pipes, as well as installation of water tanks and water pumps must be in accordance with the schedule offered to the Institution during the proposal seminar which is accompanied by a Financing Budget Draft. If calculated, the implementation will take around four months.  It is hoped that the Darul Mukhlisin Agrotourism Farmers Group will be able to continue this program to other areas because we  hope that this program will not only be a short-term solution, but will also provide a sustainable contribution. to support the widespread cultivation of spice and medicinal plants.

"This activity will have a social impact because of what we leave behind. "With the installation of water pumps and water-saving techniques, we are optimistic that farmer groups can develop more efficient and sustainable cultivation," he concluded.