Land use for coconut plant farming system toward sustanaible agriculture development In Molompar Kabupaten Minahasa Tenggara Sub Watershead

Abstract

Low land productivity is the main problem of upland farming systems in Sub DAS Molompar. This is likely due to inadequate agrotechnologies and soil and water corservation technigues on upland farming systems. Therefore, it is presumed that the existing upland farming systems is not sustainable. Objectives of this research were 1) to identify and to evaluate land use characteristics and agrotechnology of coconut based farming system, (2) to develop alternatives of coconut based farming system. Identification and upland coconut based farming systems were conducted useing survey method, evaluation of land use was conducted through land capability evaluation using method of Klingebiel and Montgomery, and developing alternatives of improved upland coconut based farming systems were carried out using USLE model. Results of this research showed that land use in the area coconut based was dominanated by underbrush, fallowed by forest and mixed garden with undulating topography and high erosion as limiting factors. All type of land-uses are generally suited to their land capability classes. Upland farming systems were generally dominated by coconutbased farming systems with predicted erosion rate was ranged from 1.6-93.5 tons/ha/year; it was much greater than the local tolerable soil loss 27.00-36.00 tons/ha/year. Total farmers income on upland farming systems was much lower Rp 4.717.500-12.119.500/household/yr than the income that can suppart worth life living standard Rp 17.200.000/household/yr. Improved coconut-based farming systems with appropriate agrotechnologies including balance fertilization, countruction of ridge and traditional terraces as well as raising livestocks can decrease erosion to less than local tolerable soil loss and to increase farmers income to more than worth life living standard.