A professor of coal geology at the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), Ferian Anggara, and his research team have developed Gamahumat, an innovative soil conditioner made from low-calorie coal as its main raw material.
This innovation serves as a breakthrough in countering negative perceptions of the mining industry by demonstrating that mining byproducts can be transformed into environmentally friendly products that benefit agriculture and land reclamation.
“We aim to show that the mining sector can also make a positive contribution to environmental sustainability,” said Professor Anggara on Monday (Oct. 20).
The Gamahumat research began in 2022 under the coordination of Professor Anggara at FT UGM. The study was conducted to find solutions for utilizing Indonesia’s abundant low-calorie coal, which has remained largely underused.
The research received continuous funding support from PT Bukit Asam (PTBA), which recognized the product’s potential early on.
“Since 2018, PT Bukit Asam has been our main research partner for various topics and has continued to support us because the outcomes have proven to be highly applicable,” he said.
The research process involves extracting humic compounds from coal. These active compounds play a key role in improving soil structure and fertility.
The study on humic compound extraction and value addition to coal has also received support from the Center for Mineral, Coal, and Geothermal Resources (PSDMBP) under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The resulting product, named Gamahumat, has attracted the interest of PT Bukit Asam for commercial development under the brand name BA Grow. Through this collaboration, university-based innovations can be directly applied in the field to support post-mining land reclamation.
“We hold the product license for Gamahumat, while PT Bukit Asam markets its industrial version as BA Grow,” explained Professor Anggara.
Gamahumat has been tested in various locations with diverse soil characteristics, such as marginal karst lands in Gunungkidul and sandy soils in Turgo, Sleman. The trials demonstrated that the product can act as a pH adjuster while increasing crop productivity.
“In rice plants cultivated in acidic sandy soils, fertilizer use can be reduced by up to 50 percent while maintaining yields of around six tons per hectare,” said Professor Anggara.
He further explained that the compound functions as a soil stabilizer, improving soil structure and helping retain essential nutrients for plants. Gamahumat also neutralizes acidic soils, thereby naturally enhancing the efficiency of fertilizers.
“Gamahumat helps balance soil pH and ensures nutrients remain accessible for plant roots,” he added.
Another advantage of the product is its ease of application, which eliminates the need for additional labor costs. As a soil conditioner, Gamahumat is applied during the initial land preparation phase and again on the 14th and 30th days alongside routine rice fertilization.
This schedule enables farmers to integrate Gamahumat into their existing workflows without adding steps or incurring additional costs.
“We made sure Gamahumat can be used within farmers’ existing routines without requiring extra labor or expenses,” said Professor Anggara.
The professor emphasized that this research focuses on innovations that generate tangible impacts for environmental sustainability while supporting the national economy.
Although the mining industry is often perceived as exploitative, it plays a vital role in contributing to non-tax state revenues from the mineral and coal sectors.
Through research-based approaches such as Gamahumat, mining resources can be leveraged to create added value for agriculture and environmental rehabilitation.
“We aim to shift the paradigm, to show that even from mining, green solutions that support food security can emerge,” he concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Salma
Photographer: Donnie Trisfian