Udayana, Bali agriculture office survey orchid potential in Buyan–Tamblingan

Denpasar — — Udayana University’s Faculty of Agriculture and the Bali Provincial Agriculture and Food Security Office have carried out a joint survey of local orchid potential in the Buyan–Tamblingan Nature Tourism Park in Buleleng, as part of a broader research and conservation program for Bali’s native orchids, according to the faculty and Indonesia’s public broadcaster RRI.

The Faculty of Agriculture states that the activity in Buyan–Tamblingan supports the conservation, inventory and propagation of local orchids, and is intended to develop an agro-educational tourism concept involving local communities and relevant stakeholders. The survey is linked to a collaborative research project on local orchid genetic resources between the faculty and the provincial Agriculture and Food Security Office.

RRI reports that the underlying research program is titled “Adaptation and Development of Local Orchid Genetic Resources in Bali”, involving the Bali Provincial Agriculture and Food Security Agency and Udayana University’s Faculty of Agriculture, with support from the Bali provincial administration. The broadcaster notes that the initiative is framed as a synergy between academia and government to strengthen documentation, conservation and sustainable use of Balinese orchids.

According to biosystematics and evolution expert Aninda Retno Utami of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), existing collections and documentation have recorded more than 200 orchid species in Bali, underscoring the island’s significant genetic resource potential. She told RRI that this diversity represents “a significant treasure” that requires further exploration in terms of species diversity, characteristics and development potential.

Key data

• Location: Buyan–Tamblingan Nature Tourism Park, Buleleng.
• Recorded orchid diversity: More than 200 orchid species documented in Bali by BRIN.
• Research focus: Conservation, documentation, propagation and sustainable use of local orchid genetic resources.

Research linked to conservation

RRI describes the orchid research collaboration as a platform to connect scientific work with conservation and community benefits. The project brings together the provincial Agriculture and Food Security Agency, Udayana’s Faculty of Agriculture and other stakeholders to explore how local orchids can be developed without undermining their habitats.

The Bali Natural Resources Conservation Center (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam, BKSDA Bali) presented its conservation perspective at a focus group discussion hosted by Udayana’s Faculty of Agriculture. According to RRI and the faculty, BKSDA Bali views the development of local orchids as an opportunity to integrate conservation, research, education, community empowerment and sustainable use.

Udayana’s summary of the discussion notes that BKSDA Bali emphasized responsible management of wild genetic resources in line with conservation regulations, including the need for proper data collection, permits and documentation for research access to conservation areas such as the Buyan–Tamblingan Nature Tourism Park. The center also expressed support for inventory and exploration of vegetation diversity in conservation zones as part of biodiversity-based conservation and tourism development.

Tourism and community role

The Faculty of Agriculture indicates that the Buyan–Tamblingan survey is intended to feed into an agro-educational tourism concept that involves local residents, educational institutions and other stakeholders. The aim is to give added value to local orchids through education and community participation while maintaining conservation objectives.

RRI reports that BRIN supports strengthening research and documentation of Bali’s orchids to build more robust scientific databases. According to Aninda Retno Utami, such databases would help governments, universities, communities and businesses make more informed decisions on conservation strategies and sustainable development.

Faculty and BKSDA representatives underline that any development of orchid collections and tourism products should be designed so that benefits flow back to the genetic resources and habitats on which the research depends, rather than producing purely academic or commercial outputs. They highlight the need to align ex-situ activities such as cultivation and display collections with in-situ conservation in places like Buyan–Tamblingan, so that research and tourism do not increase pressure on wild populations.

Context

The September 2026 survey in Buyan–Tamblingan is part of wider efforts to document Bali’s orchid diversity and develop local genetic resources through coordinated research, conservation and community engagement. The collaborative program between Udayana University and the provincial Agriculture and Food Security Agency is positioned as a model for linking scientific research with conservation objectives and potential biodiversity-based tourism.

Sources

• RRI Voice of Indonesia (English edition)
• Udayana University main site – Faculty of Agriculture FGD report