Optimising Water Management in Drylands to Increase Crop Productivity and Anticipate Climate Change in Indonesia

Abstract

In the future, Indonesia will become increasingly dependent on dryland agriculture. New adaptive technology innovations able to transform drylands into arable land throughout almost the entire year have been developed to anticipate global climate change in tropical areas. This article reviews the results of research on the importance of climate and water management technology to increase the crop index and productivity in Indonesia. We found that irrigation treatment at 80% of the FAO-recommended rate resulted in the highest maize stover yield (around 13.65–14.10 t h−1). Irrigation treatment at 60% of the FAO-recommended rate for soybeans (at 0.24 litre s−1 h−1) produced good-quality soybean seeds. The use of existing water resources can increase the planted area from 1.25 to 1.67 and increase the cropping index during the second planting season in the same area. Agricultural systems based on water management can improve their crop index and productivity, and anticipate climate change to increase farmers’ incomes and wellbeing. Support measures in the form of regulations, legislation, acts, programmes, and policies from central and local governments for land use and management are crucial. The development of infrastructure by establishing water management institutions at the village/farmers’ group levels to allocate irrigation water is a leverage point to develop dryland agricultural systems appropriately and judiciously to assist in sustainable development.

Diversity of Cultural Landscape and Potency of Sustainable Tourism Development in Rural Area of Lombok Island, Indonesia

“…Traditionally, community farming has been done through cultivation, covering methods, production, post-harvest, and use (Batoro, 2021). Indonesia is still mostly an agricultural nation where dryland farming is the main form of sustenance (Rejekiningrum et al, 2022), such as in rural area around Mandalika, Lombok Island. The dryland cropping index, which is often only cultivated during the rainy season (December-April), can be raised by combining more irrigation, water-saving techniques, and on-site water collection innovations (Rejekiningrum et al, 2022), such as small-scale reservoir.…”

Slow-release Fertilizer Application on Silk (Falcataria moluccana Miq.) and Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Plant Growth and Yield in Agroforestry System

“…Upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) is cultivated in dryland (Malik 2017). Dryland for upland rice tends to be increasingly widespread throughout the islands of Indonesia while the area of paddy fields is getting smaller (Rejekiningrum et al 2022). The use of superior varieties can enhance upland rice cultivation.…”

Research and innovation in agricultural water management for a water‐secure world

“…Organizational structures at different levels must enable inclusive and sustainable water resource management in the agricultural sector (Ahmed et al, 2022). This can be achieved through collaboration between different sectors, institutions, policies and regulations, and locally implemented programmes (Ahmed et al, 2022; Cofie & Amede, 2015; Rejekiningrum et al, 2022). Nexus planning in AWM could be a starting point because it strives to bring everyone to the table and co‐plan for balancing conflicting interests among different actors.…”

“…Increased water demands driven by socio‐economic growth have also facilitated the accelerated decline in the quality and quantity of fresh water as a result of overexploitation of freshwater resources for human needs and the alteration of natural water systems (Garcia‐Moreno et al, 2014; Rockström et al, 2023). The vulnerability of freshwater resources is a pressing and ongoing challenge because water plays a central and vital role in main global economic and developmental activities, including agricultural production and ensuring the realization of health, food and water‐focused Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 (Bjornlund et al, 2023; Cofie & Amede, 2015; Rejekiningrum et al, 2022; Smith et al, 2023).…”