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BATAN to produce prime crop seedlings
The National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) will this year release five prime crop seedlings, consisting of two types of rice seedlings, two sorghum seedlings and a peanut seedling, as the result of the application of nuclear technology
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T
he National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) will this year release five prime crop seedlings, consisting of two types of rice seedlings, two sorghum seedlings and a peanut seedling, as the result of the application of nuclear technology.
'We will immediately announce a superior rice seedling called Tropiko,' BATAN Radiation and Isotopic Application Center head Hendig Winarno told The Jakarta Post at the Application of Radiation Processing for Sustainable Development of Agriculture Seminar in Yogyakarta on Monday.
The seminar and workshop, which run until Thursday and were organized by BATAN and the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA), were attended by representatives from countries such as Bangladesh, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Hendig said BATAN was waiting for a decision letter from the agriculture minister regarding the Tropiko superior rice seedling, which can withstand pests and yield 10.5 tons of rice per hectare.
'If developed, we can meet up to 10 percent of rice seedling demand nationally,' added Hendig.
He said the application of nuclear technology, such as gamma rays and electron radiation, was able to produce new superior seedling varieties in bigger volumes compared to conventional methods.
Meanwhile, rice farmer Sumana Sri Darwanta, from Musirawas in South Sumatra, revealed that he had tried growing Tropiko rice seedlings, saying they grew faster than usual and had strong roots and a survival rate of 95 percent.
BATAN data showed that the prime sorghum seedling called Samurai 1 could produce 1,148 liters of ethanol fuel from a 1-hectare field and the Samurai 2 seedling (suitable as food) could yield 8.5 tons per hectare, while the superior black soybean seedling, named Mutiara 2, could produce 3 tons per hectare and Mutiara 3 could produce 3.2 tons per hectare.
BATAN created 17 superior rice seedlings from 1982 to 2014 and eight prime black soybean seedlings from 1987 to 2014.
BATAN, equipped with nuclear technology, is also able to produce oligochitosan from prawn waste, the product of which is called Fitosan, to boost crop growth and prevent plant diseases originating from fungi, bacteria and viruses.
Another of its products is the super water absorbent hydrogel (SWA), used for agriculture on sandy or dry farms and aimed at efficient water use and maintaining the balance of soil moisture.
'SWA usage for shallot cultivation in sandy soil in Samas Beach, Bantul, could minimize irrigation from twice daily to once in three days,' said Hendig.
BATAN Nuclear Technology Development Division deputy head Anhar Riza Antariksawan said agricultural products using nuclear technology were safe to consume.
'The method is safe because radiation immediately disappears,' said Anhar.
He added that BATAN's innovations in the field of agriculture could boost crop productivity and help economic growth. He expressed hope that BATAN's findings could be used by farmers in Indonesia.
'We hope investors will be willing to produce these innovations en masse. BATAN will provide technical assistance,' said Anhar.
