The Gamagora Rice Cultivation Team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) planted rice seedlings in Karangwungu Village, Klaten Regency, Central Java Province, on Thursday (Jul. 18).
This inaugural planting of the new rice variety, developed by UGM researchers, is a collaborative effort with Bulog Klaten, Agri Sparta startup, the Klaten Food Security and Agriculture Office (DKPP), and Karangwungu Farming Group.
Professor Taryono from the UGM Faculty of Agriculture (Agriculture UGM) explained that rice planting results from a Penta helix collaboration to support sustainable agriculture through modern, low-carbon-emission cultivation methods.
“To support food security and sustainable agriculture, we are using Gamagora rice and organic SSF (Super Smart Fertilizer),” he said.
The professor added that this collaboration will expand farmers’ understanding of the benefits of Gamagora rice.
“We call it amphibious rice because it can grow in dry and wetlands,” he noted.
The demonstration plot of Gamagora rice in Klaten will serve as a joint evaluation material among the team and stakeholders regarding productivity—Gamagora rice averages over 9 tons per hectare. Professor Taryono hopes the harvest in Klaten will yield similar results.
“In Ngawi, the demonstration plot harvest was very close to the target of 9.7 tons of unhusked rice per hectare, with a recent harvest of 9.1 tons per hectare,” he said.
According to him, with many planting locations for Gamagora rice, the UGM team will also assess the regional productivity gaps. To enhance productivity and meet targets, they are introducing innovative fertilizers developed by UGM researchers using rice husks, leaves, and chicken feathers.
“We also have other innovations, such as micro-fertilizers, that can be tested to ensure plants thrive and stay healthy,” Professor Taryono added.
Karangwungu Farming Chair Dadi Mulyo supported the Gamagora rice planting to improve farmer welfare through increased rice yields per hectare. He highlighted Agri Sparta’s role in introducing modern rice cultivation technology.
“We hope our welfare will improve and advance. We could not achieve this alone without the help of everyone involved,” Mulyo said.
Walidi, representing DKPP in Klaten, hopes the Gamagora rice planting will succeed and be applied in other areas.
“Hopefully, this can be collaborated on to increase production, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes,” he said.
Agus Yuniarto, a newly elected Klaten Regional House of Representatives member, suggested that Gamagora rice should be introduced more widely among Klaten farmers to support their prosperity and national food security programs.
Agri Sparta COO Husnul Mubarok shared that they are carrying out an on-farm project using Gamagora rice varieties. He hopes this initial planting will expand to other regions, as they plan to buy the harvested rice in cooperation with Perum Bulog.
“Our motto is to help farmers and share knowledge through the technology we introduce. Bulog will receive the harvest, and gradually, this project will spread to other areas,” he said.
The name Gamagora is an abbreviation of Gama Gogo Rancah. This rice variety was developed to address the decline in rice production in Indonesia due to global climate change phenomena, including El Niño and La Niña, and the conversion of rice fields to non-rice uses, which amounts to 96,512 hectares annually.
With the designation Gamagora 7, this rice variety offers superior production yields, resistance to planthoppers and diseases, and suitability for paddy fields and rainfed areas.
Author: Gusti Grehenson