UMI Professor Develops High-Protein Waxy Corn Varieties
Makassar (ANTARA) — Professor Dr Edy MP, a professor of plant breeding at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI), has successfully developed two national superior varieties of high-protein waxy maize, which are projected to become an alternative means of strengthening national food security.
The two varieties, named Putra Baru 1 and Putra Baru 2, are the result of six years of research supported by funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek).
Speaking in Makassar on Saturday, Edy said the research was oriented not only towards increasing productivity but also towards providing alternative foodstuffs with better nutritional quality.
“What we have produced is not merely a new variety, but waxy maize with higher protein content, increased productivity and broad adaptability,” he said.
In 2024, both varieties were officially released as national superior varieties through a decree of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, allowing them to be widely cultivated by farmers across various regions.
“We hope these varieties can become one of the solutions for strengthening national food security while improving farmers’ welfare,” he said.
He explained that, in addition to protein content reaching 11.52 per cent in Putra Baru 1 and 11.64 per cent in Putra Baru 2, both varieties also offer high productivity.
Putra Baru 1, he said, has the potential to yield up to 8.88 tonnes per hectare, while Putra Baru 2 can reach 8.54 tonnes per hectare. Both also contain high amylopectin levels, producing a sticky texture, making them potential leading local foodstuffs as well as an alternative to rice.
The Rector of Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Professor Dr Hambali Thalib, said the achievement demonstrates the strategic role of higher education institutions in addressing national challenges through applied research.
“UMI does not want to be merely a producer of diplomas. UMI wants to be a producer of solutions. The measure of a university’s success is not only the number of graduates or publications, but how far its knowledge can deliver real benefits to society,” Hambali said.
Appreciation for the breakthrough also came from the Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Arif Satria, who described the release of the Putra Baru 1 and Putra Baru 2 varieties as an important breakthrough.
According to him, UMI’s success proves that universities are capable of producing superior varieties that open up significant opportunities for strengthening national food self-sufficiency.
He said innovations such as this must continue to be encouraged so that Indonesia possesses an ever-growing number of crop varieties that are adaptive to climate change, productive and capable of meeting future food demands.