Pengembangan Sentra Kentang Unggul Berbasis Pemberdayaan Kelompok Tani

Abstract

Ulu Ere subdistrict in Bantaeng regency is one of potential areas for the development of potato crop.
However, the Farmers Groups in this area are still using traditional techniques to cultivate the potatoes without
adequate cultivation technology innovations which technically makes the management of potato cultivation systems
needs to be improved with the Partner Village Development Program (PPDM). The methods in this PPDM program
are: counseling, demonstration, and action research with several stages: a) program socialization and group
discussion and b) Farmer Group Empowerment which includes a technique of cutting cuttings in husk charcoal in
screen house, technique of seedling for G1 seeds (Basic-1) in an open field, technique of demonstration area for G2
seeds (Basic-2), and guidance on processing food made of potatoes. The results obtained from the PPDM program
are: a) observations on cuttings propagation in screen house show ±90% of cuttings survived, ±10% withered, and
free from pests and diseases, b) observations on techniques of seedlings for G1 seeds show that 10% of the crops
was attacked by pests and diseases, and the productivity shows an improvement to ±15 tons/ha (previously only ±8
tons/ha), and c) observations on demonstration area for G2 seeds show only ±85% of the seeds grow normally, and
15% of the plant were attacked by pests and diseases with the productivity increased to ±18 tons/ ha (previously
only ±10 tons/ha), and guidance for processing food made of potato shows the participation and the knowledge of
the Farmers Group had increased. PPDM as a program will provide significant benefits to improve the prosperous of
Farmers Group and community.