Plastic waste remains a persistent environmental issue, with various sectors contributing to its accumulation, including agriculture, where plastic mulch is commonly used. Mulch serves to cover planting beds, suppresses weed growth, protects the soil from erosion, and maintains soil structure. However, plastic mulch generates significant waste, which, if not properly managed, can accumulate and degrade soil quality in agricultural areas.
Through the Student Creativity Program for Entrepreneurship (PKM-K), five students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) developed an innovative product called SABI, also known as Organic Mulch.
The members were Salfa Alifia Putri and Erelyne Erlina from the UGM Faculty of Agriculture (Agriculture UGM), Fanisa Esa Alfira from the UGM Faculty of Biology (Biology UGM), Aimmatul Husna from the UGM Faculty of Agriculture (Agriculture UGM), and Jane Angguningtyas Deanani from the UGM Vocational College (SV UGM).
The team was supervised by Nasih Widya Yuwono, a lecturer from the Department of Soil Science at UGM.
Team leader Salfa Alifia Putri explained that the organic mulch is made from easily available and abundant materials found around agricultural lands, namely water hyacinth and eggshells.
By utilizing these natural materials, production costs can be reduced, enabling farmers and communities to benefit both environmentally and economically.
“We developed this product as an alternative for farmers and communities seeking more environmentally friendly cultivation methods,” said Putri on Wednesday (Nov. 5).
The production process of the organic mulch takes approximately three to four hours in the Feed Laboratory, Department of Fisheries, Agriculture UGM. Each batch yields around 50-60 pieces of mulch. The mulch is circular, measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, and is suitable for medium-sized plant pots.
The Organic Mulch helps retain soil moisture for extended periods, reduces erosion, and suppresses weed growth.
Moreover, it promotes healthier plant growth and better productivity compared to plants without mulch. Being biodegradable, it naturally decomposes, enriching the soil with nutrients and serving as organic fertilizer.
“This product offers an eco-friendly alternative aimed at supporting farmers who wish to reduce the use of conventional plastic mulch,” she added.
Putri further shared that the SABI team plans to expand trials of the organic mulch to various types of crops and land conditions while collaborating with local farming partners for large-scale production.
“We hope SABI can become an innovative solution toward a greener, healthier, and plastic-free agricultural system in Indonesia,” she said.
Additionally, SABI has been showcased at several exhibitions, including the Agriculture UGM Anniversary Expo and the Postgraduate Pioneer Expo, and is also available for purchase through e-commerce platforms.
The team markets its product through a pre-order system and promotes it on social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Author: Jesi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: SABI Team