Efisiensi penggunaan air irigasi sumur pompa artesis pada usahatani lahan kering di Lombok Timur Nusa Tenggara Barat

Abstract

Since 1981 until now on, the local government has developed deep well pump irrigation to anticipate the decreasing of dryland area and fertility in Lombok. The increase use of dryland nowadays needs the farmers to run farms more efficiently. The variations of farmers backgrounds and their managerial capacities inevitably affect their efficiency rate. This study aims at (1) investigating the use of pump irrigation for dryland farms; (2) developing an approximation to figure out the distribution efficiency from pump house to individual farms; (3) identifying the irrigation efficiency levels achieved by individual farmers and determinant factors affecting the efficiency. The stratified random sampling was applied to get samples of corn and onion farms, differed by high and lowland. Primary data used in this research were collected using a survey technique by interviewing 246 farmers and 49 pump operators in East Lombok during two months periode, based on specific designed questionnaire which previously tested. The study found that (1) the deep well pump irrigation has increased the cropping intensity of dryland schemes from 100 to 261 percent per year; (2) the distribution of irrigation water from pump house to individual farms has been efficient, indicated by a high index of distribution efficiency; and (3) the application of existing technology for irrigation is inefficient. Improving irrigation efficiency can save water about 30, 42 and 44 percent from existing use for corn, lowland onion and higland onion respectively. Using 14 variables in linear additive model, it is found that 9, 5 and 2 variables are significant to explain the irrigation efficiency for the three crops respectively. Experience in running farms in schemes, formal education years, farm cost ratio, and farm income ratio indicate positive effects on the irrigation efficiency. While farmers‟ age, family size, frequency of attending training, and land area cultivated indicate negative effects for corn farms. Improving training and farmers organisation are adivisable to increase the irrigation efficiency.