SIDOARJO – In an effort to strengthen food resilience in urban areas, students of the Community Service Program (KKN) from the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya, carried out a community service initiative in Tambakrejo Village, Sidoarjo. The activity, held on Saturday, 22 November 2025, focused on providing practical urban farming solutions for PKK women of RT 01 RW 05.
Carrying the theme “Training on Making NPK-Rich Organic Liquid Fertilizer for NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) Hydroponics and Vertical Hydroponics Applications”, the program was warmly welcomed by participants. A large number of PKK members attended and showed high enthusiasm throughout the event, which was designed to address the challenges of growing plants in densely populated urban environments.
During the training, participants were introduced to practical technologies such as vertical hydroponic systems and the NFT method. These systems enable residents to maximize limited land while maintaining sustainable household vegetable production.
Haniffudin Nurdiansah, S.T., M.T., the supervising lecturer from the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering ITS, explained that limited urban space should not be a barrier to farming. “Vertical hydroponics and NFT are practical solutions for city residents. However, nutrient quality is crucial, which is why we emphasized training on making organic liquid fertilizer and AB Mix,” he stated.
He added that the goal of the training is to empower PKK women to independently produce effective and environmentally friendly hydroponic nutrients.
The core session of the program covered the preparation of NPK-rich Organic Liquid Fertilizer (POC) using household waste and locally sourced materials. Participants also learned how to produce AB Mix nutrients as a cost-efficient alternative for maintaining hydroponic systems.
The participants’ enthusiasm was evident. One of the PKK members, Uni Kartika Mahardani, shared that the training addressed her long-standing need for reliable guidance. “I’ve wanted to learn hydroponics for a long time, but I never found proper guidance. This training motivates me to finally start,” she said.
The activity continued with hands-on practice, including assembling vertical hydroponic installations, transferring seedlings into net pots, and applying POC within the NFT system. To support continuous application, each participant received a complete vertical hydroponic kit along with its nutrients to take home.
The KKN program aims not only to help families meet their daily vegetable needs but also to open opportunities for PKK members to generate additional income from their harvests. This initiative reflects the commitment of the ITS Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering to applying scientific and technological knowledge for community welfare.
Through this training, ITS hopes that Tambakrejo residents will become more independent in producing healthy food while contributing to the development of sustainable urban agriculture.
A follow-up meeting on collaboration between the ITS Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (DTMM ITS) and PT Komatsu
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SIDOARJO – In an effort to strengthen food resilience in urban areas, students of the Community Service Program (KKN)