Sunshine and Smiles; A Sweet and Spicy day in Sukabumi

     ~ On our 8th day as exchange students at IPB University, we had another exciting adventure — a field trip to Sukabumi! We woke up very early and arrived at school before 5:00 AM to travel for about two hours. The goal was to harvest cherry tomatoes and chili peppers, and explore plant science in action.

     When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by dancing orchids inside the greenhouse. We were given scissors and allowed to pick fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes — and yes, I tasted one! While picking, I noticed some plant issues like lack of pruning, powdery mildew on the leaves and blossom-end rot on some fruits. We also learned that they used synthetic chemicals, so we had to wash the tomatoes before eating them.

     Next, we visited another greenhouse full of healthy bird’s eye chili peppers. I tried one, but it wasn’t too spicy since I avoided the seeds. The farm used a drip irrigation system and a technique called fertigation (fertilizer + irrigation) to give plants the nutrients they need without soil.

     After harvesting, we visited their tissue culture laboratory. We had breakfast with steamed cassava, taro, bananas, and coffee. Inside the lab, we learned how plants like pineapple, potato, onion, and orchids are grown through micropropagation in a clean, controlled environment. My favorite part was transplanting orchid cultures ourselves using a laminar flow hood, which keeps everything sterile. We even handled fire and alcohol safely during the process.

     After the lab activity, we had lunch and visited a famous mochi shop to buy oleh-oleh (souvenirs) before heading back to campus.

     It was a fun and educational day. I learned a lot about plant care, hydroponics, and tissue culture. I feel happy and thankful for this experience — it’s something I’ll never forget!