IPB University Students Practicum about Oil Palm Breeding at Minamas Research Center Perawang, Riau
Technology and Management of Plantation Production Program Study (PS TMP), IPB University Vocational School has an industrial partner PT Minamas Plantation (Sime darby), through the Best Program (Building Estate Sustainability Transformational Program). This program is a form of link and matches through the application of an industrial-based curriculum (Dual System/Teaching Industry). The program is under Law no. 12/2012 on Higher Education.
Ade Astri Muliasari, M.Si, Chair of the TMP Study Program, said to answer the demands of 21st-century competence, students are provided with an integrated practicum activity (enrichment course) at Minamas Research Center, Perawang, Riau for one week. She explained that the 21st-century competencies are creative thinking skills, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, and collaboration.
“The 4C competencies can be instilled both in the learning process in the classroom with various lecture models and outside the classroom through student activity units (UKM),” said Ade.
She said for continued implementation of the 4C competencies, the students and lecturers learn about oil palm breeders on an industrial scale by carrying out plant breeding practices and oil palm seed production.
The activity begins with understanding theoretical material in the workspace and then continues with practice in the field and the MRC laboratory.
The breeder delivered the Oil Palm Breeding material with a presentation and then openly discussed it with the IPB University lecturer team to evaluate the students’ understanding and depth of the material.
The students carried out bunch analysis activities, taking pollen, parent-trees identification, pollinating parent-trees, harvesting, dethatching, depericarping, scraping, washing seeds, storage, heat room, soaking, germination, sorting and sending sprouts. In addition, students also gain knowledge and experience in the production of superior DxP Icalix seeds produced by MRC. DxP Icalix seeds have the potential productivity of Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB), reaching 30.9 tons per hectare per year.
“Through this enrichment course program, we hope it can provide new knowledge, especially regarding plant breeding and oil palm seed production of DxP Icalix. Besides that, we hope the students can implement the knowledge and skills possessed during the lecture on campus,” said Ade Astri Muliasari. (IAAS/INT)
Sumber : https://www.ipb.ac.id/news/index/2022/05/mahasiswa-ipb-university-ikuti-praktikum-oil-palm-breeding-di-minamas-research-center-perawang-riau/c801182ac7e74e4366982cb54a33bb62
