Meningkatkan Produktivitas dan Daya Tahan Tanaman Kopi dengan Aplikasi Pupuk Organik Secara Tepat:

Increasing Productivity and Immunity of Coffee Plants with Appropriate Organic Fertilizer Application

Abstract

Kopi speciality yang berasal dari daerah Sumatera sangat diminati di pasar internasional karena dikenal bertekstur paling halus dan bercita rasa paling berat dan kompleks. Tanaman kopi merupakan salah satu komoditas utama di Simalungun, di mana Kopi Arabika Simalungun telah mendapatkan Sertifikat Indikasi Geografis. Kopi Arabika Simalungun termasuk peringkat kedua dari 21 Jenis Kopi Terbaik Indonesia. Kopi Arabika Simalungun dipilih gerai kopi kelas dunia, Starbucks, dari 30 negara penghasil kopi di dunia. Gerai kopi ternama seperti Starbucks biasanya lebih memilih kopi ramah lingkungan atau organik, misalnya, tanpa menggunakan pupuk kimia. Secara umum, petani kopi di Kabupaten Simalungun menghadapi banyak masalah sehingga mengakibatkan rendahnya produktivitas dan mutu biji yang dihasilkan dan ketidakmampuan usahatani kopi mensejahterakan petani. Ditambah lagi adanya isu pertanian kopi berkelanjutan yang harus diantisipasi oleh petani kopi. Untuk mendapatkan sertifikat berkelanjutan, petani kopi harus memperhatikan banyak aspek, termasuk ramah lingkungan. Sementara itu, kopi organik memiliki beberapa kelemahan, diantaranya kecepatan panen yang lambat dikarenakan tidak menggunakan bahan kimia. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat dilakukan untuk membantu petani kopi di Simalungun menghadapi masalah tersebut dalam bentuk penyuluhan dan pelatihan penggunaan mikro organisme dekomposer dan pupuk organik untuk meningkatkan produktivitas dan daya tahan tanaman kopi. Petani sangat antusias dan memberikan respon positif terhadap materi yang diberikan oleh tim pengabdian pada masyarakat. Hasil kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat mampu menambah pengetahuan dan ketrampilan petani sehingga petani kopi memiliki alternatif cara pemupukan dan pengandalian hama dan penyakit dalam memproduksi kopi ramah lingkungan dan meningkatkan produktivitas untuk memenuhi permintaan ekspor.

Specialty Coffees originate from the Sumatera region are in great demand in the international market because they are known to have the most delicate texture and the heaviest and most complex taste. Coffee is one of the main commodities in Simalungun, where Simalungun Arabica Coffee has received a Geographical Indication Certificate. Simalungun Arabica Coffee is ranked second among the 21 Best Indonesian Coffee Types. Simalungun Arabica Coffee was chosen by the world-class coffee shop, Starbucks, from 30 coffee-producing countries in the world. Famous coffee outlets like Starbucks usually prefer environmentally friendly or organic coffee, for example, without using chemical fertilizers. Generally, coffee farmers in Simalungun District face many problems, resulting in low productivity and quality of beans produced and the inability of coffee farming to prosper the farmers. Plus, the issue of sustainable coffee farming that must be anticipated by the coffee farmers. To get a sustainable certificate, the coffee farmers must pay attention to many aspects, including being environmentally friendly. Meanwhile, organic coffee has several disadvantages, including slow harvest speeds due to not using chemicals. Community service activities were carried out to help coffee farmers in Simalungun deal with these problems in the form of extension and training in the use of decomposer microorganisms and organic fertilizers to increase productivity and endurance of coffee plants. The farmers were very enthusiastic and give a positive response to the material provided by the community service team. The results of the community service activities were able to increase the farmers' knowledge and skills so that the coffee farmers have alternative ways of fertilizing and controlling pests and diseases in producing environmentally friendly coffee and increasing productivity to meet export demand.