Sustainable Farming System Planning Based On Cocoa In Way Semah Sub Watershed Lampung Province

Abstract

Cocoa is a leading commodity in Lampung Province after coffee, because the cocoa plantations are widespread in almost district. One of the center of cocoa is Way Semah Sub Watershed which is including Pesawaran District administratively. However, cocoa productivity is still low because there is no arrangement of sustainable farming system based on cocoa. Thus have implication for lower average farmer’s income. Moreover, there is no soil conservation actions in actual farming systerm This study aimed to identify land use characteristics and to analyze the agrotechnologies and to compose sustainable farming system planning based on cocoa in Way Semah Sub Watershed. The rcommended agrotechnologies were meet sustainable farming system citeria : (1) the farming system which haspredicted erosion was lower than tolerable soil loss (ETol); (2) the farmer’s income was higher than a decent income; and (3) the agrotechnologies must be applicable and replicable by farmers. In this study, Land capability was evaluated using Klingebiel and Montgomery method, erosion was predicted using USLE (the Universal Soil Loss Equation ) equation developed by Wischmeier and Smith, and farming system was analyzed using cash flos analysis method. There is 4 (four) farming system type in intensive study site : cocoa monoculture (UT1), cocoa-coconuts (UT2), cocoa-coconuts-tangkil (UT3), and cocoa-trees-fruit plants. Result of this study showed that predicted erosion in actual agrotechnologies and cropping patterns was higher than ETol. It ranged from 89.90 to 425.80 tons hectare-1year-1 while ETol ranged from 18.42 to 32.30 tons hectare-1 year-1. Total farmer’s income were lower (Rp15 995 000 to Rp22 880 000 householder-1year-1) than a decent income (Rp.30.000.000 householder-1year-1). To increase farmer’s income, the source of income such as livestock was introduced into the existing farming system. Result of agrotechnologies simulation showed that conservation techniques of split pitch decrease predicted erosion ranged from 7.55 to 24.53 tons hectare-1year-1 and planting a shade plants result1.31 to 4.26 tons hectare-1year-1 lower than ETol. Fertilizer and livestock increase cocoa productivity and farmer’s income (Rp23 775 000 to Rp33 675 000 householder-1year-1) higher than a decent living.