Short Communication: Investigating environmental impacts of long-term monoculture of sugarcane farming in Indonesia through DPSIR framework

Abstract

Abstract. Putra RP, Ranomahera MRR, Rizaludin MS, Supriyanto R, Dewi VAK. 2020. Short Communication: Investigating the environmental impacts of long-term monoculture of sugarcane farming in Indonesia through DPSIR framework. Biodiversitas 21: 4945-4958. An increasing trend of sugar demand in Indonesia due to the rising population has forced the government to boost its national sugarcane production through intensification program. Long-term monoculture system has long been practiced by sugarcane growers in Indonesia, particularly by large sugar companies for more than 30 years. This farming method bolsters the government’s program in scaling-up national sugar production. Through a literature study, the present study analyzed the impacts of long-term sugarcane monoculture in Indonesia on agroecosystem functions by using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. Results showed that long-term sugarcane monoculture leads to decreased soil quality, lowered hydrological functions, reduced agrobiodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Those conditions corresponded to reduced sugarcane yield and productivity, increased pests and diseases, decreased income gained by growers, higher dependencies on chemicals, and higher cultivation costs. In the end, we proposed several sustainable crop management to mitigate the detrimental effects of sugarcane monoculture practice in Indonesia. These include performing crop break or rotation with legume or the other cash crop, intercropping, green harvesting and trash blanket, precision agriculture methods, and soil amendment with organic matters. However, some constraints in implementing those sustainable crop management, such as inadequate knowledge and capital, should be considered. The information given in this study can be used by sugarcane growers or companies, policymakers, and sugarcane-related stakeholders as considerations to improve sugarcane productivity while at the same time minimizing its impact on the environment.

Implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Boost Sugarcane Productivity in Indonesia

“…Green cane harvesting-trash blanketing (GCTB) is an agronomic practice of returning sugarcane residues, i.e., dry leaves, left cane shoots, and the remaining sugarcane stalks back to the field after the harvesting process, as an in-situ organic matter (OM) source (Tórtora et al 2013). The residues will be decomposed and being a source of organic matter (Putra et al 2020). Carvalho et al (2017) suggested that the positive impacts of implementing a trash blanket can be attained when at least seven tons per hectares of sugarcane residues are preserved on the soil surface.…”

“…Crop diversification offers several benefits, but this practice is not yet popular and being implemented by Indonesian sugarcane growers (Putra et al 2020). They may be indolent in applying intercropping since the positive impacts cannot be seen immediately after its implementation.…”

“…PA is more to a process that should be part of holistic farm management and action plan, with clear goals the grower wants to achieve (Bramley et al 2015). Currently, the adoption of PA amongst Indonesian sugarcane growers is still low due to several reasons, such as relatively high investment in having PA's technologies and poor knowledge of sugarcane growers in operating these technologies (Putra et al 2020).…”

Green cane-trash blanketing sebagai upaya agronomis peningkatan kualitas tanah dan produktivitas tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.)

“…Degradasi kesuburan tanah merupakan salah satu faktor krusial yang berkontribusi terhadap penurunan produktivitas tebu di Indonesia. Beberapa wilayah di Indonesia, penanaman tebu dilakukan secara monokultur dalam jangka waktu lama, bahkan hingga puluhan tahun (Putra et al 2020). Dari proses pemanenan tebu di lapang, terdapat beberapa jenis residu, antara lain daun kering (daduk) maupun daun hijau, sogolan atau tunas tebu muda, pucuk tebu, serta batang tebu hasil tebangan yang tertinggal di lahan (Karve et al 2001;Misran 2005).…”

On the Way to Sustainable Peat-Free Soil Amendments

“…), maize (Zea mays L.), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), and fuel crops such as rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) take up space instead of multicultural food crops resulting in adverse impact leading to loss of soil fertility, increased soil salinity, erosion, depletion, and decreased environmental quality and biodiversity soil depletion (Ghadeer and Al Khalil, 2019;Guillaume et al, 2016;Mohamed et al, 2016;Putra et al, 2020;Schiefer et al, 2016;Vanham et al, 2021). In particular, several experts have discussed the problem of soil fertility in oil palms in Indonesia (Herry et al, 2020;Hsiao-Hang et al, 2016;Petrenko et al, 2016;Shahputra and Zen, 2018), while other scientists (Hartemink, 1964;Kusumawati et al, 2020;Putra et al, 2020) have discussed and reported about soil degradation in sugarcane plantations in Indonesia. Furthermore, climate change predictions point at more frequent environmental instabilities such as extensive heat resulting in dryness and natural fires, excessive precipitation leading to floods, sudden and intense cold bringing crop yield loss.…”