Nalefo L 1,*, Salahuddin S 1 and Malik N 2
1Department of Agriculture Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University Halu Oleo, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, 93231; 2Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University Halu Oleo, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, 93231
*Corresponding author: la.nalefo@uho.ac.id
Hydroponic farming has emerged as a promising approach to urban agriculture, yet its success largely depends on the institutional capacity and social dynamics of farmer groups. This study investigated the effects of farmer group social capital and farmer group roles on the performance of hydroponic farming in Kendari City, Indonesia. The research was conducted from March to June 2025 using a census of all 35 hydroponic farmers in the study area. Primary data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) were employed to assess the relationships among the study variables. Descriptive analysis indicated that the levels of farmer group social capital, farmer group roles, and hydroponic farming performance were all within the moderate category. The SEM-PLS results demonstrated that both farmer group social capital (? = 0.326, P=0.024) and farmer group roles (? = 0.632, P<0.001) exerted significant positive effects on hydroponic farming performance. The structural model explained 72.8% of the variance in hydroponic farming performance (R² = 0.728), indicating strong explanatory power. Furthermore, the interaction between farmer group social capital and farmer group roles was statistically significant (? = 0.341, P=0.006), suggesting that effective farmer groups strengthen the positive contribution of social capital to farming performance. These findings highlight the importance of fostering trust, social networks, collaboration, and institutional capacity within farmer groups to enhance the productivity and sustainability of hydroponic farming. Strengthening farmer organizations through extension services, capacity-building programs, and stakeholder collaboration is therefore recommended to improve the long-term performance of hydroponic farming systems.