Cereals–soybean intercropping is not well studied, despite the importance of these crops in increasing agricultural profitability and ensuring nutritional and food security in Southeast Asia. We compared different intercropping practices (IPs) with monocropping practices (MPs) for their yield and economic performance by small-scale farms without mechanization. The treatments were IPs of rice–maize, rice–soybean, or maize–soybean compared with MPs of rice, maize, or soybean as sole crops, across three provinces in the rainfed areas of western Indonesia with a wet climate. Our results show that the yield advantages using the land equivalent ratio of the IPs were 44% for rice–maize, 54% for rice–soybean, and 63% for maize–soybean compared to MPs. Rice equivalent yield, maize equivalent yield, and the gross margin under IPs were significantly higher per cycle than under MPs; IPs provided a substantially lower cost of production and of paid workers. Compared to just rice, there were additional net return gains of USD 160 and USD 203 ha−1 per cycle under rice–maize and rice–soybean intercropping. Maize–soybean intercropping resulted in an additional net return gain of USD 153 ha−1 compared to just maize. These results suggest there is considerable potential for small farmers to increase their yields and profits by intercropping in rainfed areas with a wet climate.
Subak is local wisdom in Bali that has been practiced for centuries in managing irrigation water. Here we present the uniqueness of Subak to manage water with an example of Subak Sange, Gianyar, Bali. The field activity was carried out from April-September 2019. The research objectives were to analyze: (i) the characteristics of local wisdom in Subak Sange, (ii) the effect of irrigation water frequency on pest and disease outbreaks on tobacco yield, and (iii) the efficiency of water use in chili-tobacco intercropping. We combined several approaches to achieve the objectives, including an interview with farmer, diversity analysis, Romijn method, and revenue cost ratio. The results showed that the harmony of relations between farmers was bound by a belief in three elements socio-agrarian-religious. The excessive irrigation gave more pest and disease outbreaks, as shown in 6-irrigation frequencies. In addition, the occurrence of rotten root outbreaks was the highest (29%). The optimal frequency irrigation for yield of tobacco was 4-times, which produced 11.5 tons of dry chopped tobacco per hectare, and this frequency irrigation was much more efficient water use by 79% than rice plants. Based on revenue cost ratio analysis, the chili-tobacco intercropping with four times irrigation was feasible. The findings indicate that management of irrigation water in Subak Sange is promising to support food sustainability in the region.
Bali is a world tourist destination and has many natural resources that need to be developed to support the tourism sector. One of the local Bali resources that has the potential to be developed to support tourism and food is the local red Bali rice. This local Balinese rice is a characteristic of the ecotourism area of the Jatiluwih village of Tabanan, Bali. Balinese rice is grown with inorganic pesticides and there is an urgent need to develop organic pesticides as a sustainable approach to rice farming. In this regard, extracts of piper plants can serve as the best and greenest biopesticides as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and compost functions as organic fertilizer. The present research aimed to evaluate PGPR, compost, and the synergistic biopesticidal effects of extracts of three piper plants, namely Piper caninum, Piper betle var. Nigra, and Piper betle, against blast disease in Bali red rice plants. The results showed that the synergistic action of PGPR, compost, and crude extract of piper plant provided an inhibitory activity against blast disease in rice plants where the greatest inhibition was found in a mixture of the three extracts with an inhibition of 50 cm. This shows that the mixed compounds of the three piper extracts work synergistically in suppressing blast disease; in addition, PGPR also exhibited a positive impact on the growth of red rice because PGPR produce growth hormones and various antifungal metabolites that help the plant growth and induce systemic resistance against phytopathogens. The active principles were identified as citronella, trans-geraniol, and 4.6-dipropyl-nonan-5-one. A combination of these extracts with compost and PGPR showed potential antifungal activity against blast disease at a concentration of 2%. This application also promoted the growth of Bali red rice. There is a significant increase in the number of leaves and the number of tillers, where the height is inversely proportional to the higher the extract up to 2%, as the height of the red Bali rice plant decreases. This is good because it reduces the red Bali rice stalks’ possibility of falling during small production. The piper extract mixture at a concentration of 2% had the highest effect on grain production/tonne (6.59 tonne/ha) compared to the control at only 3.21–3.41 tonnes/ ha. The 2% concentration of the extracts from the mixture of the three pipers has the highest effect on growth and red Bali rice production, and provides the greatest obstacle to the intensity of blast disease in red Bali rice.
Rice is the staple food of Indonesia's population. Various problems occur in an effort to increase production and productivity. One problem is the attack of yellow rice stem borer (PBPK) which may result in yield losses up to 90%. Utilization of parasitoid is an alternative to suppress the attack of Yellow Rice Stem Borer. The study was conducted in Tabanan, covering three locations with the altitudes of 50, 300, and 550 meters above sea leve, and at the Plant Pests and Diseases laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Udayana. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of parasitization of the best Yellow Rice Stem Borer as a natural control agent at different altitudes. The method used was survey by taking a sample group of Yellow Rice Stem Borer eggs with a purposive random sampling in the area of 2.5 hectares (one block in each location was an area of 0.5 hectares) at each location. Observations on parasitoid found in Yellow Rice Stem Borer eggs were done on parasitoid species diversity, equality, abundance, parasitation level, sex ratio, and the pattern of parasitoid invasion. The results showed three species of parasitoid eggs PBPK as biological control agents. Parasitation level of T. rowani and T. japonicum was the highest at the altitude of 50 meters above sea level, while T. schoenobii at the altitude of 300 and 500 meters above sea level.
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