Prof Suwardi: 82 Percent of Indonesia’s Land is Marginal, Soil Technology Innovation is Key to Recovery
Soil technology innovation is considered key to transforming millions of hectares of marginal land in Indonesia into productive and sustainable food sources. This was stated by Prof Suwardi, Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University.
Every year, approximately 140 thousand hectares of productive agricultural land are lost due to land conversion into industrial zones, residential areas, and infrastructure, threatening national food security.
“Currently, nearly 82 percent of Indonesia’s land area, or approximately 157 million hectares, is classified as marginal land with low productivity due to physical, chemical, and biological constraints of the soil,” he explained at the Pre-Scientific Lecture Press Conference of IPB University Professors on Thursday (8/14).
He emphasized that soil technology plays a central role in regenerative agriculture. This system can restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, maintain climate stability, and produce food sustainably.
“If deserts in other parts of the world can be greened, Indonesia’s marginal lands can also be restored,” he said optimistically.
“The key is to combine soil technology innovations, political will, industrial support, and active farmer participation,” Prof Suwardi added.
Over two decades of research, he has developed soil restoration innovations, such as the use of compost, lime, biochar, humic materials, and zeolite. The combination of these technologies has yielded positive results.
“This technology has proven to increase rice yields on acidic sulfate soils in Jambi from 1–2 tons/ha to 5–6 tons/ha, as well as optimize peatlands and former mining sites for coconut, oil palm, and industrial tree plantations,” he explained.
Fertilization innovations like NPK–Zeolite fertilizer based on Controlled Release Fertilizer (CRF) can increase yields of various crops by 10–15 percent compared to conventional fertilizers. Zeoponic technology even allows plants to survive up to three weeks without intensive irrigation.
According to him, “This technology is highly effective in restoring nutrients in acidic soil and reversing organic matter degradation. Its management can be tailored to plant needs, thereby achieving better nutrient efficiency.”
The benefits of soil technology are strategic, as they can reduce pressure on fertile land, increase national production capacity, and improve the welfare of farmers in remote areas.
“Soil health is a reflection of national health. Healthy soil produces quality food, improves farmers’ livelihoods, and strengthens food sovereignty,” emphasized Prof Suwardi.
Despite its great potential, he noted that the implementation of soil technology is still hindered by several factors. These include high costs, limited technical capacity among farmers, and policies that are not yet integrated across sectors.
Therefore, Prof Suwardi recommends public-private collaboration, farmer education, and the use of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Decision Support Systems (DSS) to ensure the success of transforming marginal land into regenerative agriculture.
“Local farmers must also collaborate with large companies, for example in managing oil palm plantations on peatlands to ensure their position is not marginalized,” he concluded. (MW) (IAAS/RMH)
