Since 2015, the Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM has established cooperation with industry developers of grass seeds and legume, the Cropmark Seed Company New Zealand.
Initially, Fapet conducted trials on more than 30 types of grass and legumes from Cropmark New Zealand to evaluate their potential development in Indonesia. The results of the preliminary trial studies showed that Fapet found 3 types that were very potential and adaptive to Indonesia’s agroecological conditions. One of them is the Chicory forbs plant.
After conducting trials on more than 30 types of grass and legumes from Cropmark New Zealand, the Faculty has selected 3 potential types that are adaptive to Indonesia’s agroecological conditions. One of them is forbs Chicory.
Chicory is a type of forbs, herbaceous feed that is often found in grazing pastures. The plant is important to increase the productivity of pastures. The research done by the faculty found that Chicory Intybus was potential in Indonesia as the production may reach 2 to 3 times higher than in its origin country.
“Our research found that Chicory could adapt well here with high crude protein content (25,5% BK) and low crude fiber (26.0% BK). Compared to other legumes normally grown in Indonesia, the nutrient content is far better,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA., DEA., IPU, when contacted on Tuesday (8/12).
Ali Agus added Chicory planted by UGM would produce up to 55 tons/hectare with a water content of around 18%.
“If harvest is done each month, the production in the dry season may reach 330 tons/hectares/year or 60 tons of dry grain product/hectare/year,” he said.
According to Ali Agus, the production here is much higher than that in New Zealand which is 8 – 19% of dry grain product, 20 – 26% of crude protein and 20 – 30% of crude fiber. In New Zealand, the dry grain product reaches 8-16 tons/hectare/year.
“This means that the production may reach 3- 4 times higher than in the origin country. The fertile soil of Java is one of the supporting factors for high production,” he said.
Similar views were shared by researchers Ir. Nafiatul Umami, S.Pt., M.P., Ph.D., IPM., Dr. Ir. Bambang Suhartanto, DEA, Slamet Widodo, S.Pt, and Dr. Tim Cookson and Brian Thorrington, representatives from Cropmark Seed Company New Zealand. They said that Chicory was suitable to be grown in Indonesia and believed that it would contribute to livestock feed development in the country.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/17553-fapet-ugm-kembangkan-tanaman-pakan-chicory
