The use of plant concoctions as foliar spray in crop production is a novel concept for the majority of Indonesian farmers. When I taught them this method recently at a training session in Pekan Baru, Riau Province, it generated a lot of interest.
Specifically, I demonstrated how to prepare fermented fruit juice (FFJ) and fermented plant juice (FPJ). For the FFJ, the materials used were papaya (other possible substitutes are banana, jackfruit, melon, mango, orange, and tomato), brown sugar, water, and a pail. After the papaya skin was peeled and the seeds removed, one kilo of finely cut papaya fruit was combined with one liter of non-chlorinated water plus half kilo of brown sugar. The pail containing the mixture was then covered with old newspaper to screen out dust and insects and kept under a shade. After one week, the juice was extracted from the remaining solid by hand squeezing, separated using a fine mesh sieve, and stored in empty mineral water bottles.
For FPJ, growing parts of leguminous trees such as Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, and Moringa oleifera (the latter two generally used for fuel wood or fencing, and the third for its nutritional value) or common vegetables such as kangkong (water spinach, Ipomoea aquatic) and sweet potato can be used. The cut stems and leaves were combined with brown sugar and water in the same proportion and by the same procedure as those used for preparing FFJ. Since the cut parts are where active meristematic cell division takes place, the concoction has the added advantage of containing plant growth hormone.
Two tablespoons each of FFJ and FPJ can be mixed separately with one liter of non-chlorinated water and applied as plant nutrients through root drenching. When foliar-sprayed, the concoction is a potent liquid fertilizer, fungicide, and insecticide. It can also be used as nutrient solution for hydroponics.
By teaching them about plant concoctions, Goducate is able help the farmers optimize their crop yield potential and enable them to generate much savings from not buying expensive synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
