Pemanfaatan Sekam Padi sebagai Potensi Lokal melalui Pembuatan Arang Sekam untuk Meningkatkan Produktivitas dan Nilai Ekonomi Masyarakat Desa Hilimaenamolo

Abstract

Rice husk waste in Hilimaenamolo Village has long been disposed of or openly burned, causing environmental pollution and not being utilized optimally. In fact, rice husk contains Potassium, Phosphorus, and Silica which have the potential to be processed into rice husk charcoal as a planting medium and soil conditioner. This activity aims to provide education and practical skills to the community to process rice husk into economically valuable charcoal and to reduce environmental impacts from agricultural waste burning. The implementation method used was socialization and direct practice consisting of 3 stages: 1) Providing information on the utilization of rice husk, 2) Preparing rice husk and the tools needed, 3) Carrying out a controlled burning process of rice husk until it turns into charcoal. The target of this activity was the general community of rice husk producers in Hilimaenamolo Village.The results showed that: 1) Through socialization, community understanding increased from 10% to 85% and their perception changed from "waste" to "local potential". 2) The community together with students successfully collected 5 kg of rice husk and prepared simple tools using used zinc sheets as a burning furnace with 13 participants. 3) In the direct practice, 100% of participants were able to independently produce rice husk charcoal and 1 sack of good quality rice husk charcoal was produced. As many as 6 people have applied rice husk charcoal to their chili and vegetable fields, resulting in looser soil and increased water retention. In conclusion, the methods of socialization and direct practice were effective in increasing the community’s knowledge, skills, and independence. The utilization of rice husk into rice husk charcoal can reduce agricultural waste, increase agricultural productivity, and create opportunities to improve the economic value of the community using easily accessible materials and low-cost tools.