IPB University Students Counsel the Benefits of Papaya Leaves for Vegetable Pesticides

Students of the Production Technology and Development of agricultural communities (PPP) Study Program of the Vocational School of IPB University conducted counseling to farmers in Banjarsari Village, Bogor using papaya leaves as a vegetable pesticide, (19/5). This activity is part of the initiative of IPB University students in supporting agricultural sustainability and reducing the cost of plant production facilities.

This counseling targets the Setia Tani Kambangan farmer group and aims to provide a practical understanding of how to make and use vegetable pesticides from papaya leaves. Papaya leaves are known to contain natural compounds such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and non-protein amino acids that effectively repel and kill pests, including snail pests that harm local farmers.

One of the IPB University students, Siti Nurhaliza, revealed that this counseling aims to help farmers become more independent and sustainable. “We want farmers to be able to utilize the surrounding natural resources optimally. By utilizing papaya leaves, farmers not only save costs but also keep the environment healthy,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tri Budiarto, SKPm, MSi, extension supervisor, emphasized the importance of collaboration between lecturers and students in the adoption of innovations to the community. “Students and lecturers need to go to the field a lot to assist farmers. This helps farmers adopt environmentally friendly and efficient agricultural technology,” he explained.

He added that the direct learning method in the field is considered very effective. This is because extension not only improves farmers’ skills, but also builds a strong relationship between academics and the community. “However, the methods applied must be adapted to the conditions of the farmers so that the information can be absorbed optimally,” he said.

The Chairman of the Setia Tani Kambangan farmer group, Mahmud, welcomed the initiative of the IPB University students. “We are very grateful for this counseling. This new knowledge really helps us in reducing the use of expensive chemical pesticides,” he said.

With this initiative, IPB University Vocational School PPP Program students hope to have a sustainable positive impact on the farmers of Banjarsari Village, Bogor. Not only that, this extension program is also expected to inspire other farming communities to adopt sustainable agricultural technology. (TBO/ASW/ra) (IAAS/NYS)