PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (PKT) again proved the superiority and quality of NPK Pelangi JOS through a Demonstration Plot (Demplot) for potato commodities in Linelean Village, Modoinding District, South Minahasa, North Sulawesi Province. The demonstration plot collaborated with the Jaya Farmers Group in the Linelean Village with an increase in yields of up to 55 percent from the previous 120 days of planting. The PKT Retail Sales Coordinator for the Sulamapa Region, Deny Indra Pratama, revealed that the average yield of the Modoinding potato demonstration plot reached 15.8 tons per hectare, compared to farmer treatment with a maximum yield of 9.9 tons per hectare. This shows that the use of NPK Pelangi JOS was able to increase potato yields by 5.9 tons per hectare. "From this demonstration plot, we can see an increase in the productivity of agricultural products, because the Rainbow JOS NPK is very suitable for all types of crops. Starting from food crops, horticulture and plantations," Deny said during the first harvest of the potato demonstration plot in Linelean Modoinding Village, as quoted from a written statement, Sunday. , July 17, 2022. He revealed, NPK Pelangi JOS as the newest product of PKT is the first innovation in Indonesia that combines the functions of NPK fertilizer and biological fertilizer in one product. One of its advantages is that NPK Pelangi JOS is able to make the soil richer in nutrients without having to lose the carrying capacity of the land, so that farmers are more efficient in using it. Several regions that have carried out demonstration plot trials have also proven the effectiveness of the Rainbow JOS NPK, by increasing yields of various commodities such as potatoes, rice, chicory and shallots. The average increase in results reaches 15 percent to 50 percent from the previous, for the use of doses of 70 to 100 percent.
"For this reason, we hope that farmers will not have doubts about the quality of Pelangi JOS NPK. If applied with the right treatment and dosage, the nutrients will quickly decompose and become available to plants so they don't become residues in the soil," explained Deny. The Linelean Village Farmer's Group, Steven Kapahang, acknowledged the superiority of NPK Pelangi JOS after seeing an increase in potato yields which was much higher than before. In addition, this latest PKT product has also been proven to be able to improve crop quality, where the potato seeds obtained are much larger than the traditional treatment of farmers. "From this demonstration plot, we have proven ourselves the quality of Pelangi JOS NPK, and in the future we highly recommend this product so that the yields remain high and of good quality," said Steven. Another advantage of NPK Pelangi JOS can also be seen from planting to harvesting with relatively high rainfall. This condition usually tends to make the plants attacked by fungi that are difficult to control, and the potato seeds that are planted are in danger of rotting. However, with the use of NPK Pelangi JOS, the potatoes are still fresh and healthy, without the slightest fungal attack when harvested.
"This answers our problems and obstacles so far to produce quality potatoes. We also urge farmers not to hesitate to use NPK Pelango JOS, because the results obtained have proven to be very good," added Steven. The head of the Agricultural Extension Center (BPP) of Modoinding District, Renly Liow, also appreciated the PKT's contribution in encouraging the increase in potato agricultural yields in Linelean Village through the demonstration plots carried out. Moreover, looking at the post-weighing harvest, it was found that the weight of potatoes reached 0.6 kilograms per tree, from previously only around 0.4 kilograms per tree. From this amount, the productivity of Linelean potatoes in the future has the potential to increase dramatically with the use of NPK Pelangi JOS, for a standard 40 thousand trees per hectare with an estimated average yield of 20 tons per hectare. "Looking at the results, this time the potato harvest is the best, in the midst of uncertain weather conditions," said Renly. Seeing the limited quota of subsidized fertilizers currently, the presence of NPK Pelangi JOS as one of the non-subsidized PKT products is considered to be the answer to increasing productivity with proven results, so that farmers' dependence on subsidized fertilizers can continue to be suppressed. He also hopes that PKT can continue to provide assistance to farmers so that similar productivity can be achieved more optimally. Moreover, Modoinding District is the largest producer and distributor of horticultural crops, especially for the Eastern Indonesia region and parts of Central Indonesia. "This NPK Pelangi JOS can be a solution for farmers to encourage potato productivity, especially in Modoinding District, so that future agricultural yields can increase more significantly," concluded Renly.
