The seedling pots are made from banana leaves rolled into a tube of around 3-4 centimeters in diameter, in which they cultivate the seedlings of various crop vegetables such as eggplants, chillis and leaf mustard.

Blandina, 45, a Lembah Hijau 2 resident, said the natural seedling pots, locally known as koker, made it easier to manage the development and cultivation of their crop plants.  

(Read also: Farmers use organic farming to reduce dependence on imported pesticides, fertilizers)

One koker is used to grow 2-3 leaf mustard seedlings. After the seedlings have at least four true leaves, they will be transplanted to permanent growing pots filled with compost.

“Before we found out about koker, we sowed seeds directly onto the soil. As a result, many plants died before we could harvest them because they were planted too close together. With this koker system, the spacing of the plants can be controlled more easily,” Blandina told The Jakarta Post.  

Yatimin, 63, head of the Sinar Harapan community farm in Lembah Hijau 2 village, said organic farming was beneficial to boosting crop yields.

“Using compost and natural insecticides, we can harvest 4 to 5 times per week for vegetables such as leaf mustards and water spinach. One kilogram of kangkung can generate Rp 300,000 [US$21],” said Yatimin. (ebf)

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