SMART is a biofertilizer formula that contains selective microbial consortia that excel as N fixers, phosphate solubilizers and hormone producers. SMART is also able to increase fertilization efficiency, rice plant resistance to disease and increase productivity. Fertilizer is the main nutrient for plants because it is able to increase and accelerate the growth and development of cultivated plants. The problem with using N fertilizer in rice cultivation is its low efficiency, plants absorb only 30% to 50% of the N fertilizer given due to leaching and evaporation.
Apart from the problems of leaching and evaporation, intensive N fertilization with inorganic fertilizer in paddy fields can cause a reduction in organic matter in the soil so that its fertility is reduced. Therefore, the addition of organic materials or biological fertilizer is very necessary. Biofertilizer is an active biological product consisting of microbes that can increase fertilization efficiency, fertility and soil health. Excessive and continuous use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides has a negative impact on environmental quality, physical, chemical and biological degradation of the soil. Added to this is the reduction in agricultural area. This can reduce rice production. This is what triggered the Agricultural Research and Development Agency to launch SMART technology.
The advantages of SMART technology are increasing fertilization efficiency, rice plant resistance to disease, increasing productivity, being environmentally friendly because it uses tropical microbes, being able to increase rice productivity and reducing the amount of fertilizer and insecticide used by around 50%. Given its advantages, SMART has the potential to be developed commercially by the agricultural production industry to substitute inorganic fertilizers and insecticides for rice plants. Apart from that, SMART is very prospective to be developed to support sustainable rice self-sufficiency programs, increases the efficiency of inorganic fertilizers, is able to fix N, solvent P, and contains anti-pathogenic substances.
