Vol 11, No 1 (2024): June

The decline in soil fertility, characterized by extremely low organic matter content, is a common occurrence in agricultural land due to the intensified practices of crop production. These practices often involve the unwise application of chemical fertilizers and a lack of recycling agricultural waste as organic fertilizers. This study aimed to investigate the impact of biochar on the yield of small shallot bulbs grown from true shallot seed (TSS) in a dryland agroecosystem. The experimental trial was conducted using a randomized block design, incorporating two factors: organic amendments (biochar, manure, and biomass) and TSS varieties (Tuk-tuk, Sanren, and Trisula). The results demonstrated that the use of biochar, particularly in the Trisula variety, resulted in the highest production of mini-tubers, with an average of 4.5 tubers per seed. In comparison, the Sanren variety yielded 1.8 bulbs per seed, while the Tuk-Tuk variety yielded 1.2 bulbs per seed. Furthermore, the application of biochar had a positive influence on soil properties, such as increased levels of organic carbon (C- organic), availability of phosphorus (P-available), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in dry soils. The utilization of biochar as an organic amendment demonstrated its potential to enhance shallot bulb yield, particularly in the Trisula variety, within a dryland agroecosystem.

Climate change nowadays became the most problematic matter including in agricultural industries. Agriculture area productivity affected national food security and a county’s economic development. As an agricultural county, Indonesia must be ready to adapt and prepare for the worst impact of climate change. This paper aims to explore the impact of climate change on financial sustainability in agricultural industries. This research uses a systematic literature review method related to financial sustainability, climate change impact, and agriculture industries. The result shows that financial sustainability in agricultural industries must be impacted by climate change. The impact of climate change on agriculture industries is associated with reducing profitability, destroying capital, portfolio reallocation, and financial instability.   Climate change caused environmental uncertainty that affects agricultural productivity. To reduce the impact of climate change on financial sustainability in agricultural industries, there must be a design of mitigation must be prepared and realized so agricultural industries are more prepared and ready to face climate change impact.

Fried meatballs are different from meatballs in general. Usually, meatballs are served with hot sauce. However, fried meatballs with a crunchy texture can be consumed as a snack. Meatballs are generally gravy, and noodles or vegetables are added, while fried meatballs are processed through boiling and frying to extend their shelf life. The research aims to produce quality processed products by adding different flours through physicochemical and organoleptic tests that have been carried out at the Laboratory of Animal Product Processing Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, Halu Oleo University in November 2022 using a Completely Randomized Design of 5 treatments 5 repetitions by adding various types of flour with different concentrations repeated five times. The research results from adding various types of flour to fried meatballs for broiler chicken meat have a significant effect on physicochemical quality, especially pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, and swelling capacity. In contrast, organoleptic quality significantly affects color, taste, elasticity, and general acceptance but does not significantly affect shape, texture, and aroma.

Garlic leaves contain a phytochemical compound, namely allicin which functions as an antimicrobial and antioxidant and can reduce cholesterol and fat in the body so that it can produce healthy chicken growth. Research on meat quality and productivity of broilers obtaining the garlic leaves meal percentage (R0=0; R1=2.5; R2=5.0; R3=7.5; P4=10%) in feed. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with The Honest Significant Difference (HSD) as an advanced test. The parameters observed were feed consumption, body weight gain, feed conversion, carcass percentage, and carcass component percentage (chest, upper thigh, lower thigh, back, wings, and abdominal fat). The results showed the addition of garlic leaves meal had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on protein digestibility, energy metabolism, and feed consumption, but had no effect (P>0.05) on body weight gain and feed conversion. Treatment had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the percentage of chicken breast carcass components, a very significant effect (P<0.01) on the upper thigh and lower thigh carcass components but had no effect (P>0.05) on carcass percentage, chicken back and wings. Treatment had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on the percentage of abdominal fat. In conclusion, the treatment gave excellent growth in broilers and produced healthier meat due to the low abdominal fat content.

Supply chain performance measurement presents a valuable opportunity to enhance and advance supply chain management practices across various industries, including the tempeh agroindustry. The research was aimed at analyzing the structure and performance of the supply chain, as well as the added value of the tempeh agroindustry in Mataram city. The study utilized a descriptive method that involved interviewing several respondents. Collected data was analyzed using the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) method version 9, and  Hayami Model Added Value Analysis. The results indicated that the stakeholders involved in the agroindustry supply chain in Mataram city were soybean importers in Java, local soybean supply agents, tempeh agroindustry entrepreneurs, and tempeh retailers. The study found that the tempeh agroindustry supply chain performance attained superior performance in the Reliability, Flexibility, Responsiveness, and Asset attributes. On the other hand, the Total Supply Chain Cost attribute recorded poor performance. Processing one kilogram of soybeans into tempeh yielded an added value of IDR. 9,280.82, with an added value ratio of 43.56%, and is categorized as moderate.

Phenotypic characters in crossed plants is very important to find out the success of a cross and the differences in characters between one type and another. The purpose of this study was to identify and determine the best phenotypic characters resulting from crosses of maize plants in the F4 generation. This research was carried out on agricultural land in Oloboju Village (Bulu Pontu Jaya SP2), at an altitude of 176 meters above sea level, with a latitude of 1ᵒ00'21" South Latitude and 119ᵒ56'50.49" North Latitude. Sigi Biromaru District, Sigi Regency. The study started from February to July 2020. This study was structured using a randomized block design with five maize cultivars from F3 crosses as treatments, namely: purple corn cultivar, dominant yellow: purple, white dominant purple, purple dominant white, and purple dominant yellow which was repeated five times to obtain 25 experimental plots. The observed variables were: plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, age at which male flowers were released, age at which female flowers were released, age at harvest, cob length, cob diameter, number of cob seeds, percentage of color, and weight of 100 seeds. The research data were analyzed using ovarian analysis, which was followed by the HSD test at the 1% level. The results showed that purple corn cultivars had the best phenotypic characteristics, namely, plant height reached 226.55 cm, cob diameter reached 40.95 mm, cob length reached 15.05 cm, color percentage reached 70.39%, number of cob seeds reached 411 .70 seeds and has a slightly fluffier texture and a slightly less sweet taste until it is quite sweet.

Broiler chickens are one of the producers of animal protein that is in great demand by the public and has high productivity but has the disadvantage of being susceptible to disease due to environmental conditions and poor maintenance systems. To minimize environmental conditions, it is necessary to use closed-house cages. Closed-house cages have zones in them that have different conditions. Zoning in cages has different temperatures, humidity, speed, and ammonia levels and affects broiler performance.  This study aims to determine the effect of different zoning on microclimate conditions and broiler performance in closed-house cages. This research was carried out from June 9, 2023 – to July 6, 2023, at the closed-house cage “Chicken Farm Janna” in Taipa Village, North Palu District, Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province. This study used 396 broiler samples aged 1-28 days with a DOC (Day-old chick) weight of ± 37 grams/head. The strain used is Lohman produced by PT. Japfa Comfeed Indonesia. This study used a t-test with 2 treatments and 9 repeats. The treatment studied is Z1 = Zone 1-60 meters from the inlet and Z2 = Zone 60-120 meters from the inlet. The results of the t-test show that different zoning has a significant influence (t count >t table) on microclimate conditions and broiler performance in closed-house cages. Different zoning exerts a real influence on microclimate conditions and the performance of broilers in closed-house cages. In the closed house cage, the zone opposite the inlet (zone 2) results in a temperature rise, a rise in ammonia levels, a drop in humidity, a loss in body weight, and an increase in mortality.