Service to the Hometown, Introducing FONi Innovation for Food Self Sufficiency
As a native son of Tasikmalaya, Prof Budi Indra Setiawan returned to his hometown to serve his birthplace. Through the Homecoming Lectures (Dospulkam) program, he and his team (Prof Chusnul Arif, Dr Soni Trison, and Ir Ade Hilman Juhaeni, MP, SP) introduced FONi technology to the people of Tasikmalaya City (11/28).
FONi or the Automatic Fertigator System (FONi), is an automated irrigation and fertilization system that operates without electricity. This innovation offers a simple farming technology that can be applied in backyard gardens.
Prof Budi explained that FONi enables horticultural cultivation without soil preparation, manual watering, or electricity. The system automatically regulates water and nutrients according to the plants’ needs.
“If this succeeds and spreads, mothers will no longer need to buy vegetables. FONi can be applied to any available land, without the need for farming expertise. Farming is not dirty, but enjoyable,” he said.
Currently, FONi has been implemented in more than 20 locations in Indonesia and as far as Sabah, Malaysia. The system utilizes local components, is easy to assemble, easy to move, and has an efficiency close to 100 percent because water and nutrients are directly absorbed by the plants.
Professor of Irrigation Engineering at IPB University, Prof Chusnul Arif, added that FONi operates without electricity using a water level control valve. “FONi can accurately meet the water needs of plants without intensive supervision,” he explained.
FONi has been implemented in forestry nurseries in Riau, horticulture in Tasikmalaya, and hydroponics at the Bekasi Irrigation Engineering Center. The system has even been adapted into HidroFONi, a hydroponic solution that does not require electricity.
The Chair of the Food Security, Agriculture, and Fisheries Agency (DKP3) of Tasikmalaya City, Hj Elly Suminar, stated that her agency will follow up on this innovation.
“We will involve Posyandu cadres in 10 sub-districts. In 2026, we will integrate FONi into a horticulture-based nutrition fulfillment program,” she said.
Prof Budi emphasized that the success of the technology lies not in its installation but in community self-reliance. “This technology is designed so that anyone can use it. Even women in prisons can use it,” he explained.
Through FONi, IPB University reaffirms its role in delivering simple, inclusive, and directly impactful agricultural innovations, while also promoting food self-reliance from backyard gardens. (*/Rz) (IAAS/LAN)
