Pada tahun 2025, PRAISE (Padjadjaran Research for Sweet Potato Innovation and Excellence) menginisiasi dan mengembangkan program riset pada berbagai komoditas pertanian strategis sebagai bagian dari penguatan peran pusat riset. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan oleh tim peneliti Universitas Padjadjaran dengan melibatkan mahasiswa lintas jenjang pendidikan. Fokus utama tetap pada ubi jalar, namun cakupan penelitian diperluas untuk menjawab kebutuhan pengembangan pertanian dan pangan nasional. Upaya ini dilakukan di berbagai lokasi riset yang relevan dengan karakteristik agroekosistem komoditas yang dikaji.

Selain ubi jalar, riset tahun 2025 mencakup komoditas seperti empon-empon, wijen, kedelai kuning, kedelai hitam, kacang nasi, kacang tunggak, kacang tanah, dan bunga telang sebagai bagian dari diversifikasi penelitian. Pada kelompok empon-empon, tanaman yang diteliti meliputi kunyit, temuireng, temukunci, temulawak, jahe, kencur, bangle, dan lempuyang yang memiliki nilai ekonomi dan kesehatan. Pendekatan penelitian yang digunakan meliputi pemuliaan tanaman, karakterisasi plasma nutfah, evaluasi keragaman genetik, serta pengembangan teknologi budidaya. Melalui pendekatan ini, PRAISE berupaya menghasilkan basis data ilmiah yang kuat untuk mendukung pemanfaatan dan pengembangan komoditas lokal.

Kegiatan riset ini juga dirancang sebagai wahana pembelajaran berbasis praktik bagi mahasiswa Universitas Padjadjaran maupun perguruan tinggi lainnya seperti Universitas Islam Nusantara dan Institut Teknologi Bandung. Sekitar 30 mahasiswa dari jenjang sarjana (S1), magister (S2), dan doktor (S3) terlibat aktif dalam berbagai tahapan penelitian. Keterlibatan ini memberikan pengalaman langsung dalam proses ilmiah mulai dari perencanaan hingga analisis hasil penelitian. Dengan demikian, kegiatan ini tidak hanya menjawab kebutuhan riset, tetapi juga memperkuat kapasitas sumber daya manusia di bidang pertanian.

Peran mahasiswa dalam kegiatan ini dibedakan berdasarkan jenjang pendidikan dan kompleksitas tugas yang diemban. Mahasiswa S1 berfokus pada penguatan keterampilan dasar seperti observasi lapangan, pencatatan karakter tanaman, dan pengelolaan data awal. Mahasiswa S2 terlibat dalam analisis data yang lebih mendalam serta pengembangan metodologi penelitian sesuai bidang kajian. Sementara itu, mahasiswa S3 berkontribusi dalam merumuskan arah riset strategis yang integratif dan berorientasi pada inovasi pertanian berkelanjutan.

Secara keseluruhan, kegiatan riset multi-komoditas ini bertujuan menghasilkan inovasi varietas unggul, mendukung konservasi sumber daya genetik, serta mengembangkan teknologi budidaya yang adaptif. Implementasi kegiatan dilakukan secara kolaboratif untuk memastikan keberlanjutan riset dan relevansinya terhadap kebutuhan pembangunan pertanian. Hasil riset diharapkan dapat berkontribusi pada peningkatan ketahanan pangan, nilai tambah komoditas lokal, dan kesejahteraan petani. Selain itu, kegiatan ini sejalan dengan tujuan Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), khususnya poin 2 (Zero Hunger), 4 (Quality Education), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), dan 15 (Life on Land).

PRAISE Advances Multi-Commodity Research as a Platform for Student Learning and Innovation

In 2025, PRAISE (Padjadjaran Research for Sweet Potato Innovation and Excellence) initiated and expanded research programs on various strategic agricultural commodities as part of strengthening its role as a research center. These activities were carried out by research teams from Universitas Padjadjaran with active involvement of students across academic levels. While sweet potato remained the primary focus, the scope of research was broadened to address national priorities in agriculture and food systems. The activities were implemented across relevant research sites representing diverse agroecosystem characteristics.

In addition to sweet potato, the 2025 research covered commodities such as medicinal rhizome plants (empon-empon), sesame, yellow soybean, black soybean, rice bean, butterfly pea, cowpea, and groundnut as part of research diversification. Within the medicinal plant group, species studied included turmeric, temuireng, temukunci, temulawak, aromatic ginger, ginger, bangle, and lempuyang, which hold economic and health value. The research applied approaches including plant breeding, germplasm characterization, genetic diversity evaluation, and the development of cultivation technologies. Through these approaches, PRAISE aims to generate a robust scientific foundation to support the utilization and advancement of local commodities.

This research initiative also functioned as a practice-based learning platform for students of Universitas Padjadjaran and other universities like Universitas Islam Nusantara and Bandung Institute of Technology. Approximately 30 students from undergraduate (S1), master’s (S2), and doctoral (S3) programs were actively involved in different stages of the research process. Their participation provided hands-on experience in scientific work, from research design to data analysis and interpretation. Therefore, the program not only addressed research objectives but also contributed to strengthening human resource capacity in agriculture.

Student roles within the program were structured according to academic level and task complexity. Undergraduate students focused on developing fundamental research skills such as field observation, plant characterization, and preliminary data management. Master’s students were engaged in more advanced data analysis and methodological development aligned with their fields of study. Meanwhile, doctoral students contributed to shaping strategic, integrative, and innovation-oriented research directions in sustainable agriculture.

Overall, this multi-commodity research initiative aims to generate innovations in superior varieties, support the conservation of genetic resources, and develop adaptive cultivation technologies. The program is implemented through a collaborative framework to ensure research sustainability and alignment with agricultural development needs. The outcomes are expected to contribute to food security, enhance the value of local commodities, and improve farmers’ livelihoods. Furthermore, this initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and Goal 15 (Life on Land).