NTB Farmers Successfully Increase Harvesting Results in Dry Season

INDUSTRY.co.id - Central Lombok - Despite being hit by a dry season, farmers in Banyu Urip Village, District of West Praya, Kab. Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) actually managed to increase yields. Rice productivity even reached 6.5 million tons per hectare.

"In this dry season we get more than six tons of rice, whereas it usually only gets four to five tons per hectare," said the Stock, one of the farmers who attended the Harvest and Field Gathering event in Banyu Urip Village on Thursday (6/9) .

Although the dry season is sweeping its territory, Sadam said that a number of rice technologies introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Agricultural Research and Development Agency (Balitbangtan) succeeded in increasing productivity. The technology includes the use of new varieties of Inpari 40, the application of jajar legowo planting method, application of biosilica fertilizer, and dry wet irrigation systems.

Stocks are also optimistic that the guidance made by IAARD can be a capital for the independence of the farmers. "Some technologies such as rice types, planting methods, and biosilica fertilizers are new here, but because there is guidance from the Research and Development Agency, the results are maximal," he explained.

According to the researcher of the NTB Institute for Agricultural Technology Assessment (BPTP), Ahmad Suryadi, each technology applied does have advantages, for example Inpari 40. Rice varieties that have been planted in an area of ​​15 hectares can survive when the rice fields experience drought.

"At the time when the rice flower would come out the water channel had been damaged so the rice fields were dry, but the Inpari 40 could still survive compared to other farmers' rice. Even the farmers at the end of the village have dry rice, "Suryadi said.

Besides Inpari 40, Suryadi also told about the advantages of dry or limited wet watering systems. According to him, the application of this method can save water as much as 30 percent so that the results of the savings can be transferred to other dry land.

Head of the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Genetic Biotechnology and Resources (BB Biogen) of the IAARD, Mastur believes this technology package can be developed in NTB, especially Central Lombok which is one of the arid regions.

"Inpari 40 has the advantages of drought resistance and high productivity. If it is synergized with other technologies it will certainly benefit farmers," Mastur said when asked for information on Sunday (9/9).

In the Harvest and Field Gathering activities, BB Biogen also had the opportunity to provide superior seeds for Biosoy soybeans. Biosoy is a superior soybean variety new Balitbangtan which has large seed advantages and high productivity. Mastur expects that the seed source can be raised and can be developed in NTB, especially Central Lombok.

Harvesting and Field Meetings with the theme "Applied Study of Rice Cultivation Technology in Dry Land" was held by the Research and Development Agency. The activity was attended by representatives of the provincial government, district government, village government, and Banyu Urip Village farmers.