BANGLI, Bali (BPN) – Environmentally friendly innovation returns to Bunutin Village. This time, a team of lecturers and students from the Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Business, Mahasaraswati University Denpasar (Unmas Denpasar) rolled out training on making organic fertilizer from African Nightcrawler earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae).
This Community Service Program (PkM) is led by Dr. drh. Nyoman Yudiarini, SKH., M.Agb. with Ni Putu Anglila Amaral, S.P., M.M.A in collaboration with lecturers from BASC-Philippines and involving students.
Held in Bunutin Village, Bangli District, this activity aims to address the needs of local farmers for affordable, high-quality, and environmentally friendly fertilizer alternatives.
“Earthworms are not just small creatures in the soil. They are natural decomposers that can turn household waste into black gold for agriculture,” said Dr. Yudiarini when opening the training.
During the activity, participants received theory and hands-on practice in earthworm cultivation and vermicompost production. This included media selection, organic waste processing, and fertilizer harvesting and packaging. African Nightcrawler worms were chosen for their rapid reproduction and decomposition rates, as well as the high nutritional content of their fertilizer.
Participants’ understanding reached 78.5%, while technical skills improved from 47.5% to 72.5%. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the participatory approach used in the training.
The training was also equipped with appropriate technology assistance, such as worm cultivation containers and humidity sprayers.
Additionally, residents were encouraged to form small working groups after the training to ensure the sustainability of fertilizer production.
