Metabolomic: Decrypting the Secret Language of Nature | MM. Malikul Ikram | TEDxBandung

The speaker introduces a durian tree named Rian, part of a 25-hectare plantation on former coal mine land in South Kalimantan. The barren, hot conditions mean Rian only gets watered every three days, highlighting the challenges farmers face. BIOS Agrotekno aims to help by installing automatic irrigation. Plants communicate through chemical signals, a language studied through metabolomics. This science, learned in Japan, translates these signals to understand plant needs like dryness, overwatering, or disease. The speaker realized the importance of not just automatic watering but also regulating the *amount* of water, as needs vary with plant size and conditions. Research showed tomato plants given 50% less water produced smaller, more sour fruit, as energy was diverted to survival. Properly watered tomatoes yielded sweeter, more nutritious fruit. Pineapples in Japan are green and tart, unlike the sweet yellow ones in Indonesia. This difference is due to ripening. Green-harvested pineapples stay green, while yellow ones rot faster. The speaker's five-year study revealed two molecular signals, inositol and melezitose, that can extend pineapple shelf life. Inositol builds cell walls, while melezitose acts as an antioxidant. Metabolomics reveals the intricate chemical reactions in food, urging humans to listen to nature. By understanding environmental signals, we can find wiser ways to nurture and preserve our surroundings.