Driven by concerns over banana plant waste, particularly banana pseudostems, four Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students under the Student Creativity Program for Entrepreneurship (PKM-K) have successfully created an eco-friendly seedling polybag. The product, named PaPipot (short for Pelepah Pisang Pot or Banana Pseudostem Pot), serves as a biodegradable seedling medium.
The four students behind the innovation are Oudy Nur Syafitri from the Agro-industrial Product Development program, Vocational College (SV UGM); Vanya Khairunisa from Food and Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM); Aliya Sarma Nela from Food and Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology (FTP UGM); and Lanang Tsaqif Hakim from Management, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UGM).
They received supervision and guidance from Dr. Annie Mufyda Rahmatika, a lecturer in the Agro-industrial Product Development program at SV UGM.
According to Syafitri, the innovation was inspired by the abundant banana pseudostem waste, which is usually left unused after harvest as banana trees produce fruit only once in their lifetime.
“After harvesting, the pseudostems simply dry up. In fact, this plant has many benefits, one of which is supporting plant growth and soil fertility as it contains nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus needed by plants,” said Syafitri at the SV UGM on Monday (Sep. 15).
Syafitri explained that banana pseudostem and rice straw waste are typically used as livestock feed, yet they have the potential for higher economic value through product innovation, such as PaPipot.
As a biodegradable seedling medium, PaPipot not only serves as a planting container but also enriches soil nutrients after use.
“With PaPipot, we hope farmers and communities can more easily switch to environmentally friendly planting media. Moreover, this product helps overcome problems of root damage that often occur when removing plants from synthetic polybags,” she added.
PaPipot is designed as an eco-friendly seedling polybag that enhances plant growth with an air-pruning system and is enriched with extracts of orange and lemongrass to repel pests.
Made from rice straw and banana pseudostem waste, the product supports sustainable agriculture while offering high economic value.
As a biodegradable product, PaPipot does not generate waste accumulation or negative environmental impact. It can be planted directly into the soil along with the seedlings without removing the polybag.
This feature makes it practical, eco-friendly, and effective in maintaining root integrity and plant health.
In addition, the air-pruning design optimizes root growth and improves nutrient absorption, further adding value to the product.
Currently, PaPipot is marketed online through e-commerce platforms as well as offline at various events.
The team hopes that PaPipot will not only provide an economic boost to agriculture but also serve as a sustainable alternative to synthetic plastic polybags for seedling cultivation.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya