Black Soybean, IPB-Kresna-15, is Tolerant to Shade
The agriculture sector in Indonesia is considered by government to be strategic and is a main core of the national development programme. To utilize land resources optimally for more productive agriculture, Indonesia must face some crucial problems. One of the major problems facing agriculture is the loss of agricultural land. As an effort to increase the national production capacity, it can utilize potential untapped lands such as land under plantation crops and forestry. To improve the national food production capacity, we still have the potential for expansion of farming land. Of the land area suitable for agriculture amounted to 100.8 million hectares, 68.8 million hectares have been utilized , so the land has not been used about 32 million hectares. In addition , there is the potential of land for agriculture in the form of 11.5 million hectares of abandoned land and 5.4 million acres of grounds , and does not include peatlands and lowland that potential is quite large.
Therefore, one of the Professor Chair Holders of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture of the Faculty of Agriculture of Bogor Agricultural University (FAPERTA IPB), Prof. Dr. Ir. Didy Sopandie, MAgr, conducted research program on "Pengembangan Tanaman Pangan dan Perkebunan pada Lahan-Lahan Suboptimal: Perbaikan Tanaman dan Teknik Budidaya = Development of Food and Plantations Crops on Suboptimal Land: Plant Improvement and Cultivation Technique".
Prof. Didy said most of the land, which cover acid soils, land with low phosphorus availability, dry land, rain-fed, under-sided land, tidal swamp and acid sulphate, have a low fertility rate can be developed. Sub-optimal land has great potential to be used as a strategic option for the development of future agricultural production areas, particularly to offset shrinking arable land and an increase in demand for production, including food security and agribusiness development. "However, the development of location-specific superior varieties, the accelerating of the assembly of location-specific technologies, and cultivation techniques for food crops is really required for the improvement of agricultural productions," he said.
According to Prof. Didy, efforts needed to increase crop production among others, intensification by managing biodiversity and ecosystem. However, the increase in crop production has been limited to the lack of land. So approximately 5 million hectares of new land will be required. In the Agricultural Revitalization Plan mentioned, it is necessary to control the conservation of agricultural land and permanent land reserves for agriculture of about 15 million hectares in 2025.
Sustainability of the production system and deterioration of land and water resources is an important issue that needs serious attention and treatment in agricultural development. " Sub-optimal land development for agriculture is generally faced with several problems, including high soil acidity and toxicity of Fe and Al as well as deficiency of nutrients N, P, K, Ca and Mg. Therefore, improvements to the condition of the soil chemistry such as the addition of organic matter, N,P, and K, and lime. In addition to improve chemical properties, it is also needed to do the selection of varieties that are tolerant to the environmental condition of the land, in order to obtain specific varieties. Increased production can only be achieved through improved crop adaptation, improved yield potential and improved cultivation techniques, "he said
Previous studies carried out by Prof. Didy revealed that the use of lime ameliorant, organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer on dry land had increased soybean productivity. Referring to the results of previous research, soil management to improve soybean yield on acid soils can be reached by sufficient nutrient needs by providing a combination of lime fertilizer and ameliorant. Varieties suitable to be developed are Tanggamus and Anjasmoro soybean varieties. While other varieties that can also be developed is black soybean (IPB-Kresna-15) which has a tolerant advantage to shade. Has a production potential of 2.4 tons per hectare under rubber cover for three years. These plants can also be planted in paddy fields, stands and intercrops (no need to find new land).
In addition to the development of soybeans, Prof. Didy another plant developed has been sorghum. Sorghum is among the most efficient crops in conversion of solar energy and use of water and is known as a high-energy, drought tolerant crop that is environmentally friendly. Part of the sorghum plant can be utilized, among others: seeds (for food, feed and bioethanol), leaves and stems (for animal feed and bioethanol) and nira (for bioethanol). Sorghum is tolerance to marginal lands and environmental conditions, its versatility as a food and feed grain, and its ability to produce high yields ensure its important role in the lives of millions of people throughout the world. This plant has the advantage of being able to adapt well on dry land and acid soils with low phosphorus content. "Currently we have successfully developed varieties of Numbu, Watar Hammu Putih, 10-90-A (ICRISAT) that are tolerant of acid soils," he said. (Wied)
