Innovation continues to be a driving force in improving the efficiency and productivity of the agricultural sector. The latest breakthrough comes from the Millennial Innovators Team, students from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI) Study Program at Undip Vocational School. The team successfully achieved the feat of advancing to the grand final round of the NreFest USU 2024 competition. The TRKI student team, consisting of Galuh Syarila, Amelia Syahrani, and Hilda Zahir Tsanisiwi, with Mohamad Endy Yulianto, S.T., M.T. as their supervising lecturer. Galuh Syarila, commonly known as Galuh, stated that their curiosity about the treatment of rice washing water waste (rice water) that was being discarded without any processing, prompted them to delve deeper and develop the ideas that now form the foundation of their written work. This team successfully captured the judges’ attention with their work titled “The Effectiveness of Rice Wash Water-Based Liquid Organic Fertilizer in Enhancing the Growth of Various Vegetable Varieties.” The title describes how liquid waste is utilized as a medium for liquid organic fertilizer, along with innovations in application that lead to a green economy. They showed that liquid waste can be transformed into a valuable resource, thus reducing production costs and improving crop quality, as well as innovations that can help the agricultural process. Thus, the team’s work successfully attracted the attention of the jury and inspired the public to be wiser in managing waste, said Galuh.
Meanwhile, Amelia Syahrani, often called Amel, revealed that in this scientific paper, the team conducted observations based on a review of previous research journals. From the results of the observation, they learned that the waste has the potential to be used as liquid organic fertilizer. When washing rice, the wash water is usually cloudy white or red depending on the type of rice. This cloudy white/red color indicates that the outermost layer of the rice is being eroded. Although many nutrients have been lost, there are still beneficial and necessary nutrient remnants in the bran. Beside nutrients, rice water also contains several types of bacteria that are beneficial for plants, explained Amel. With the existing potential, they proposed the application of digitalizing fermentors integrated with an automatic faucet based on the Arduino Uno microcontroller, with the aim of efficient watering that can facilitate nutrient supply for plant growth, thereby accelerating crop production, especially in agriculture, to improve community economy, explained Amel.
The team’s success in reaching the grand final is a testament to the academic abilities and dedication of Undip students in innovating in the field of technology and industrial chemical engineering. The Head of the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program at Undip Vocational School, Mohamad Endy Yulianto, expressed his gratitude and pride in the achievements and accomplishments of his students. Hilda Zahir Tsanisiwi, commonly known as Hilda, also added that the NreFest USU 2024 competition is a prestigious event that brings together students from various universities in Indonesia to compete in the field of New and Renewable Energy. The grand final, which will be held in September in Medan, is expected to see these students continue to contribute to the development of industrial chemical technology and engineering, and serve as an example for other young generations to continue innovating and achieving, concluded Hilda.