Jurnal Keteknikan Pertanian

Utilization of Greenhouse Solar Dryer For Curing Process of Sweet Potato

Ghazian Satya Ihsan — 2025-06-02

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Cilembu is an export commodity with a high economic value. However, approximately 50% of Cilembu sweet potato harvests do not meet export quality. One of the reasons was uncontrolled curing process. Temperature and Relative Humidity (RH) are environmental factors that significantly influence the curing process. The purpose of this study was to develop a control method and conduct a temperature and RH performance test in a drying house in accordance with the needs of the curing process, and to analyze the effects of temperature, RH, and curing time on the quality of sweet potatoes. The study was conducted experimentally in three stages: tool performance testing, preliminary research, and main research. The experimental design used was a completely randomized factorial design with three factors: temperature (30°C and 35°C), RH (80% and 90%), and curing time (3 days and 5 days). The quality parameters observed were physical damage, skin color, texture, water content, and Total soluble solids. The results of the study showed that the drying house with additional controllers connected to the thermostat and hygrostat was able to control the temperature and RH in the drying house according to the needs of the curing process in the drying house for 24 h. During the storage period, treatment with the curing process increased the Total Soluble Solids value when compared to the control. The curing process at a temperature of 30°C (T1), humidity of 90% (H2), and curing period of 3 days (D3) was able to maintain the quality of sweet potatoes during storage.

Portable Minapadi Model and Its Performance for Urban Farming

Baskoro Tri Julianto — 2025-06-02

The conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses has threatened the food supply of urban areas. While there are many unused open spaces in the areas that would have the potential to produce certain foods that are regularly consumed. It is then necessary to introduce cultivation techniques that match the area’s conditions and operable by the people with no, or less experience in farming. This study aims to come up with a portable Minapadi (paddy and fish) culture deemed suitable for urban farming and identify its performance to produce rice as well as fish. The model was tested for one season (99 days) with the main parameters observed being water balances, rice and fish production and revenue. Applying automatic irrigation without using electricity, the irrigation water consumption was 738 mm with an efficiency of 54%. Land and water productivity were 3.62 tons/ha and 0.96 kg/m³, respectively. The fish survival rate was 85% with total production of 3.34 kg and feed efficiency of 2.74. This model earned IDR7,054.94/m³ for rice and IDR36,989.82/m³ for fish with total revenue of IDR44,044.76/m³. These results confirmed that this minapadi model has potential application to support the development of urban agriculture.

Time Study Analysis on Rice Milling Process at Rice Milling Unit (RMU) “Teaching Industry” Unsoed

Dian Novitasari — 2025-06-02

Rice is a major food crop in Indonesia that requires special attention in the milling process to ensure efficiency of working time. This study aims to identify the division of work elements in the rice milling process, determine the standard time used by operators, and provide recommendations for improving the work system in the Unsoed “Teaching Industry”. Research data were collected by measuring the time of each work element in the rice milling process using a stopwatch. The work elements are divided into two groups: rice milling elements and rice packaging elements. The analysis methods used include data adequacy and uniformity tests as well as calculations of standard time and normal time. The results of the analysis show that the standard time for the rice milling process is 5,920.55 seconds per 100 kg of rice, while the standard time for the rice packaging process reaches 27,549.81 seconds per 100 kg of rice. The time required is still relatively long compared to previous studies, so several improvements are recommended, including eliminating unnecessary work elements, carrying out thorough maintenance of the tools in the RMU, and placing a bucket in the outlet hole when changing sacks to reduce the time to collect scattered rice. In addition, in the rice packaging process, the element of rice sorting can be eliminated. Other recommendations include improving the working environment by encouraging workers to wear masks during the rice milling process.

The Effectiveness of Zero Energy Cool Chamber in Extending the Shelf Life of Cherry Tomatoes with Packaging Treatment

Sufri Yanto Syahputra — 2025-06-02

Cherry tomatoes are of high economic value due to their better nutrition, sweet flavor, and crunchy texture. They are in modern markets due to specific demand and intensive cultivation. Periodic harvesting poses distribution and storage challenges as cherry tomatoes are perishable, leading to price fluctuations and quality deterioration. Temporary storage is required to maintain quality before marketing. Zero Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC) is a low-cost and environmentally friendly cold storage alternative. This study aims to determine the combination of zeolite particle size combined with sand as a cooling medium on the ZECC wall that produces a shelf room temperature according to the temporary storage needs of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes were stored in retail (250 g) and bulky (1500 g) packaging to assess the effectiveness of the packaging in maintaining quality. Parameters measured included moisture content, texture, color, vitamin C content, and organoleptic. The results showed that chamber 1 (zeolite No. 1 mesh 14-20) was more stable than chamber 2 (zeolite No. 2 mesh 8-16). When loaded, the temperature of chamber 1 ranged from 24.6°C to 27.7°C with RH 94.7% to 95.4%. Retail packaging gave the best results with an organoleptic score of 4.03-4.16 on day 15, higher than the control. The vitamin C content in the retail packaging reached 35.83 mg/100 g, higher than the control (28.94 mg/100 g).