<![CDATA[The Poso Watershed faces threats of land degradation and erosion due to steep slopes ranging from 37.24% to 39.41% and the compaction of Red-Yellow Podzolic soils, which reduces infiltration rates and increases erosion risk on steep terrain. This condition is further aggravated by the limited technical capacity of farmers in implementing land conservation practices. This community service activity aimed to restore the hydrological functions of the Poso Watershed through the participatory transfer of soil conservation and agroforestry technologies. Using an Action Research approach, the program involved 40 farmers from the Sintuwu Maroso Farmer Group and the Sintuwu Wawolembo Farmer Group. The results demonstrated measurable improvements in farmers’ capacity: 70% of participants consistently applied conservation techniques, the use of chemical fertilizers was reduced by up to 80% through the adoption of independently produced compost, pest incidence decreased by 70% through the application of botanical pesticides, and weed competition around crop bases was reduced by up to 60% through ring weeding. These quantitative improvements demonstrate that a learning-by-doing mentoring approach successfully transformed farmers from passive participants into independent actors in maintaining the ecohydrological functions of the Poso Watershed. Furthermore, the program effectively integrated soil conservation technologies with farmers’ economic self-reliance while fostering a strong sense of ownership toward the preservation of the watershed’s hydrological functions and the long-term sustainability of its ecosystem.]]>
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