Bandung, September 12, 2023 - This device is set to bring smiles to farmers' faces. Their work can become more manageable and practical in achieving maximum crop quality. It's called Si Soil, designed to fortify and enhance agricultural productivity.

Though small in size, its benefits are immense. By simply inserting Si Soil into the ground, this device can determine the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) levels, pH, and soil/plant moisture within minutes. Soil fertility levels can also be assessed from anywhere and at any time without needing to visit the land.

Si Soil emerged from a common problem experienced by farmers in the field: the difficulty in assessing the conditions of the soil for planting. They have traditionally had to wait for laboratory analysis results, which could take one to two months.

The fertilization process is also streamlined with this device. Farmers can easily and more accurately determine the timing for plant fertilization. Si Soil efficiently tackles all these issues with practicality and relatively high accuracy.

Dr. Doan Perdana S.T., M.T., led the research as the head researcher and Director of the Advanced Creative Networks Research Center at Telkom University. Assisted by a team of 10, they initiated Si Soil research in 2020, funded by the Education Fund Management Institution through the RISPRO scheme. Over three years of funding, Si Soil received a total support amounting to Rp4,192,224,000.

This innovative research on Si Soil also involved senior researchers from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) and engaged with the Kisno Mulyo 5 farmer group in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.

LPDP's Research Facilitation Director, Wisnu Sardjono Soenarso, who attended Si Soil's launch, praised the research's outcome, now turned into a product. He emphasized the need for Si Soil to become even more optimized and quickly enter the market for farmers' use.

"Information indicates that Si Soil already achieves an accuracy level of 88 - 90 percent. This is already commendable, and we encourage further improvements to enhance its accuracy," Wisnu stated in his address.

Wisnu also highlighted the substantial RISPRO funding provided to Telkom University, revealing that since 2013, there have been 30 research projects funded at Telkom University by LPDP. Eleven of these research projects have been completed, amounting to a total cost of over 14 billion rupiahs, while there are currently 19 ongoing research projects with a total funding of over 11 billion rupiahs.