Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The agriculture needs the role of researchers and experts of land and climate. Their contribution is important to formulate the policy of sustainable and environmental agricultural development in Indonesia.

It was told by Minister of Agriculture, Indonesia, Syahrul Yasin Limpo in the International Seminar of Sustainable Tropical Land Cultivation 2020 virtually, Wednesday (16/9/2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id. 

"The world is in degraded areas and hit by the climate change. These need solution from the experts to make the better agriculture,” he said.

He thought that the agriculture experts should be proud and thank that the agriculture has proven to be tougher when the Covid-19 pandemic still hits. “Many countries are in deep recession. Our economy gets weaker too but the agriculture still develops positively about 2,19%," Syahrul mentioned.

The experts are needed because Indonesia faces lots of challenges. Let us say, the climate change increase the uncertain climate prediction and the rain would influence the time to plant.

Besides, the increasing of sea surface caused the increasing salinity risks of the soil. Some regions reported the increasing flood and the sea shore line gets shorter. “Indonesia needs the experts’ thought to solve the issues,” he said.

As the tropical country within many wavy and hilly regions, Indonesia is hit by the increasing area degradation. “The rain and high temperature cause the erosion, decomposition, weathering, and acid soil run faster,” he said.

The inorganic fertilizer usage massively and intensively since the green revolution took place is not the solution. The ingredient of organic material in the soil is faster to get loss and makes the soil harder, difficult to get air, and the seeds are difficult to develop.

Head of Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan (Litbang) Pertanian, Dr. Fadjry Djufry, M.Si, admitted that the tropical agricultural issue could be solved by the technology innovation from the field experts and practitioner. “The agricultural practitioners could give feedback so that the technology innovation could be adjustable with the tropical agriculture,” he said and in the reverse, the experts could diagnose the field issues.

The seminar within the theme 1st International Conference Sustainable Tropical Land Management was joined by some soil experts internationally, such as, Prof. Takashi Kosaki, the President of The International Union of Soil Sciences of Japan and Prof. Budiman Minasny, the digital soil mapping expert of University of Sydney, Australia.

From Indonesia, it was joined by Prof. Budi Mulyanto, the Chairman of Himpunan Ilmu Tanah Indonesia (HITI). "More than 200 experts discussed in the forum within about 515 men from many countries," Dr. Setiari Marwanto said, the researcher of Balai Besar Litbang Sumberdaya Lahan Pertanian, Bogor, who was also the chairman of the seminar.

The virtual conference would be for three days since Wednesday to Friday (16-18/9/2020). "The event would be the two year – agenda from the climate and soil experts,” Setiari said.

Prof. Takashi Kosaki thought that the people should be aware of the soil fertility to support the agriculture and the environment sustainably by introducing the soil to the children in the early age. “Tell them in simple language and experiments,” he said.

He also told the example that the children should know the soil for it could absorb the environmental pollution. “Show them that soil could absorb the ink and smell in the school,” Takashi said. (A2)