13 August 2024
Syafrijal S.Kom
Medan. The Community Service Team of the University of North Sumatra (TPM USU) developed the acem acem plant (oxalis dehradunensis R.) as an innovative solution to overcome the attack of the fruit fly bactrocera dorsalis sp in Karo Regency. The activity, which was held in Semangat Village, Merdeka District, Karo Regency recently, was part of the empowerment of horticultural farmers and maintaining environmental ecology and occupational health.
The PKM team is chaired by Dr. Eka Lestari Mahyuni SKM MKes (Faculty of Public Health). While the members are Isra Suryati ST MSi (Faculty of Environmental Engineering). This activity also involved students from both faculties.
"This is a problem that has never been resolved in Tanah Karo. Fruit flies or often known as 'cit-cit' are the main enemy of Karo farmers because they often harm the harvest. 'Cit-cit' is the cause of fruit rot and also reduces the selling value of the harvest of agricultural products that are managed such as tomatoes, oranges, coffee, or other horticultural plants," said Eka in a written statement Saturday (10/8/2024)
Eka admitted that he had researched the benefits of the acem acem plant which has properties as an insecticide and repellent for this cit-cit pest. The initiative to raise acem acem leaves (oxalis dehradunensis R.) is an innovative solution to overcome pest problems in horticultural plants.
Acem acem leaves, said Eka, are wild plants from the mountains around Tanah Karo. Previously considered worthless. But now it has been developed into a natural pesticide that is effective against fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis sp.)
In addition, Eka continued, his party has developed various products from acem acem leaves since 2019. These products include pesticide cleaning soap, anti-aging cream, effervescent powder. And now it is being developed as a natural pesticide to kill fruit flies.
"This program not only provides a solution for farmers to increase yields but also offers an environmentally friendly alternative compared to the use of chemical pesticides," said Eka
The activities carried out were making herbal pesticides from Oxalis dehradunensis R extract. After that, testing of herbal pesticides from oxasalis dehradunensis R extract was carried out where the pesticide was sprayed on tomato plants that were injected with fruit flies.
In addition, environmental measurements were also carried out, especially ambient air quality with several parameters such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), 2.5 micron particulates (PM2.5), 10 micron particulates (PM10), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO) and several meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction and wind speed.
"This botanical pesticide is my fifth product and we created it to maintain the cycle or ecology of the environment through the management of agricultural waste, namely acem acem leaves." he said.
