Evaluation of Infiltration Improvement and Surface Reduction Using Various Soil Conservation Techniques in Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Sumbermanjing Wetan

The uneven distribution and intensity of rain cause a shortage and excess of water in dry land farming. It appears that the problem of soil conservation in principle is the regulation of the relationship between rainfall intensity, infiltration capacity, and runoff adjustment. To improve the physical properties of the soil, and the hydrological function of the land use it cannot only be stressed on the coffee plant. Other factors such as soil surface management, such as providing organic matter, covering the soil surface with understory plants, making absorption holes, terraces, waterways and so on, can improve the hydrological function of the land. Rainwater management can be carried out through controlling surface runoff, harvesting rainwater, increasing soil infiltration capacity, managing soil, controlling evaporation and seepage, lining waterways. The use of silt pit parallel is considered quite effective because it is able to produce the lowest surface runoff and sufficient water storage. Silt pit parallel can produce 0.6% of rainfall into surface runoff and also can store water as much as 62.35% of the rainfall that enters the plot. The functions of a silt pit are to increase water infiltration into the soil. On dry land, silt pit functions as a place for harvesting rainwater and surface runoff. Based on the correlation regression test, the amount of surface runoff is closely influenced by the intensity of rain or rainfall.

Perception of Farmers towards Climate Change in Southern Parts of Tamil Nadu: A Critical Analysis

The goal of this research was to look into farmers' perceptions of climate change in agriculture. An ex post facto research design was used in the study. The research was carried out in wetland, dryland, and garden land farming systems in the Tamil Nadu districts of Madurai and Sivagangai. A total of 120 farmers representing three farming systems were chosen and surveyed for the study using a proportionate random sample procedure. Personal interviews with respondents were conducted using a well-structured and pre-tested interview schedule. Descriptive statistical tools were used to analyze the data. According to the findings, more than half of the respondents in the wetland (65.00%), dryland (50.00%), and garden land (55.00%) were perceived climate change in agriculture at a medium level. The majority of the garden land respondents (72.50%) had perceived the increased pest and disease incidence due to climate change than the respondents of wetland (52.50%) and drylands (30.00%). More than three-fifths of the respondents in the study area had perceived the income from agriculture was adversely affected (69.17%) due to climate change followed by the change in crop yield (64.17%) and cost of cultivation was increased (61.67%) due to the climate change. As a result, any intervention that supports the use of climate change adaptation measures may take into account location-specific factors that influence farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptive responses to it.

In vitro plant growth promoter assay of actinobacteria potential for tidal land farming

The use of tidal land for agricultural still faces constraints, mainly due to high iron content. Actinobacteria produce bioactive compound with many functions. The aim of this work was to assess the growth of actinobacteria at various iron concentrations and its capability as plant growth promoter. Four actinobacteria isolates (Cal31t, Dbi28t, Crc32t and Cal24h) were grown at various iron concentrations. The isolates were examined for their capability to produce IAA and fix N2 under in vitro assay. The growth of actinobacteria under stress conditions was examined by cultivating them in ISP2 medium at pH 4, 3% NaCl, 750 mg.L−1 AlCl3 and 8 concentrations of FeCl3, i.e. 0, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000, 32000 mg.L−1. Actinobacteria isolates were able to grow under iron stress condition up to 32.000 mg.L−1. Both Cal3t and Dbi28t produced higher cell biomass compared with the other two tested isolates. All isolates produced IAA when grown under iron stress condition up to 4000 mg.L−1 of FeCl3, were able to grow under N-free medium and capable to produce ammonia at various concentrations. Crc32t produced the highest number of ammonia (0,354 mg.L−1). Cal31t and Crc32t isolates have the potency as plant growth promoter in tidal land farming.

The Melon Short paleobotanical and historical-linguistic review

Vegetation occupies a special place on the Earth. It was easily recognized by our remote ancestors who worshipped plants and animals together with the visible world. From the biblical viewpoint about the origin of the world and living organs and resulting from further scientific conceptions, origin and evolution of plants and their special function have always been given great importance. Plants are an unconditional source of life on earth. With their development, early humans changed their ideas about and relationship with the changing environment. After the formation of convenient natural conditions, in different regions of the earth humans started developing a new form of production – land farming and cattle breeding and began creating new firm settlements. Consequently, there emerged new concepts –cultivated plants and domesticated animals - in economic activity. Improved species of plants and animals were created by means of human interference, which is why their majority have preserved only the gene and some characteristics of their wild ancestors. One of such cultivated agricultural plants is the melon with its very interesting history of evolution.

Advances in Heavy Metal Bioremediation: An Overview

The pollution of toxic heavy metals is considered one of the most important environmental issues which has accelerated dramatically due to changing industrial activities. This review focuses on the most common methods, strategies, and biological approaches of heavy metal bioremediation. Also, it provides a general overview of the role of microorganisms in the bioremediation of heavy metals in polluted environments. Advanced methods of heavy metal remediation include physicochemical and biological methods; the latter can be further classified into in situ and ex situ bioremediation. The in situ process includes bioventing, biosparging, biostimulation, bioaugmentation, and phytoremediation. Ex situ bioremediation includes land farming, composting, biopiles, and bioreactors. Bioremediation uses naturally occurring microorganisms such as Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Rhodococcus, Alcaligenes, and Mycobacterium. Generally, bioremediation is of very less effort, less labor intensive, cheap, ecofriendly, sustainable, and relatively easy to implement. Most of the disadvantages of bioremediation relate to the slowness and time-consumption; furthermore, the products of biodegradation sometimes become more toxic than the original compound. The performance evaluation of bioremediation might be difficult as it has no acceptable endpoint. There is a need for further studies to develop bioremediation technologies in order to find more biological solutions for bioremediation of heavy metal contamination from different environmental systems.

The role of farmer groups in the development of dryland farming in Ketos Village, Paranggupito Subdistrict, Wonogiri Regency

Farmer groups are play an important role in solving the farmers’ problems, especially about their farming activities. This study aims to find out the role of farmer groups in the development of dry land farming in Ketos Village using qualitative descriptive methods. The results showed that Ketos Village farmer groups conducted activities such as farmer deliberation, farmers group gathering, agricultural counselling, and gotong-royong. Based on these activities, Ketos Village farmer group is able to act as a learning class, production unit, and cooperation. Farmer group as a learning class is a farmer group as place that provides information needed by its members related to the issue of farming activities. Farmer group as a production unit means that farmer groups play a role in the provision of agricultural facilities and tools, especially subsidized seeds, and fertilizers. Farmer groups as a medium of cooperation is not only between internal groups but also for external. Then this role is able to help farmers’ activities in solving problems in dry land.

Income analysis of coconut farming with land diversification in North Minahasa Regency

North Minahasa Regency is the second-largest coconut plant center in North Sulawesi, with a coconut plantation area of 44,886 ha in 2018 (North Sulawesi Province in Figures, 2018). The plantation of coconut in North Minahasa Regency is a plantation of the people traditionally managed. Less development of rejuvenation coconut plantation causes an increase in the proportion of coconut plantation that its age relatively old has been cut down because it is not productive anymore. Cutting down is causing an increase in unproductive land under the coconut tree. This land can be used to grow other plants such as corn, papaya, chilli, ginger, banana and economic plants that will increase the income of coconut’s farmer. The objective of this research is to: 1) assess and analyze the existing condition of diversification and revenue land farming coconut exists in the District of Minahasa Utara; 2) calculate and compare the income per hectare of any diversification of land farming coconuts in the District of Minahasa Utara, and 3) produce a recommendation policy that is associated with alternative types of diversification of land farming coconuts in the District of Minahasa Utara. Research result showed five types of income diversification of land, namely crop monoculture of coconut processed into copra. Crop monoculture of coconut processed into coconut grain, coconut processed into coconut grain with corn, coconut into coconut grain with papaya, coconut processed into coconut grain with chilli. Farming that gives the highest income is coconut processed into coconut grain with papaya.

Kombinasi ecopreneurship dan saemaul undong sebagai upaya pengurangan degradasi hutan

[Bahasa]: Kawasan hutan di Desa Kelungkung, Kabupaten Sumbawa, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat merupakan wilayah tangkapan hujan yang penting untuk menjaga ketersediaan air minum penduduk Kota Sumbawa Besar. Namun tekanan terhadap hutan semakin tinggi akibat pembukaan lahan untuk pertanian lahan kering. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan upaya untuk mengurangi tekanan terhadap hutan. Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat (PKM) ini adalah meningkatkan kapasitas komunitas lokal dalam memulai upaya ecopreneurship guna mendapatkan penghasilan tambahan dan mengurangi tekanan terhadap hutan. Studi pustaka dilakukan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor pendorong dan penghambat seseorang menjadi ecopreneur. Selanjutnya intervensi dirancang untuk mengatasi faktor penghambat dengan menggunakan nilai-nilai pada konsep Saemaul Undong. Ecopreneur yang dikembangkan dalam PKM ini adalah pengembangan produk bernilai tambah dari komoditas lokal yang dianggap tidak/kurang bernilai ekonomis. Kelompok mitra yang dilibatkan yaitu kelompok Sumbawa Premium. Pendekatan yang dilakukan yaitu fasilitasi proses izin P-IRT dan penyediaan dukungan in-kind berupa peralatan. Selain itu, kelompok juga didampingi dalam pembuatan kemasan dan media promosi dan pemasaran. Produk yang dibuat yaitu selai dari buah-buahan yang tersedia di Desa Kelungkung yaitu selai jambu biji dan selai duwet, serta pengolahan biji mete menjadi mete madu panggang. Pada kegiatan PKM ini, kombinasi ecopreneurship dan konsep Saemaul Undong 2.0 merupakan pendekatan yang potensial untuk digunakan dalam pengabdian kepada masyarakat yang lebih berkelanjutan. Kata Kunci: degradasi hutan, ecopreneur, komoditi lokal, nilai tambah, saemaul undong [English]: Forest areas in Kelungkung Village, Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara Province are important catchment teritories for freshwater and drinking water supply for the residents. However, threat toward forest is increasing due to conversion to dry land farming. Hence, efforts to reduce forest degradation is needed. This community service aimed at increasing local community’s capacity to initiate ecopreneurship effort to gain additional income and reduce dreadful impacts on the forest. A literature study was conducted to identify factors that support or hinder the people to be ecopreneur. Then interventions were designed to overcome the barriers by adopting the values of Saemaul Undong concept. The ecopreneurship developed in this program was the development of added-valued products from local products having low economic values. A partner group involved in this program is Sumbawa Premium Group. The approach used was by providing assistance to get the necessary license to disseminate their products to the market (P-IRT license) and key equipments to start the business. In addition, we facilitated the making of the product packaging, promotion materials, and marketing. The products made were guava jam, duwet jam, and roasted cashew nut with honey flavor. In this program, a combination of Ecopreneur and Saemaul Undong 2.0 concept is a potential approach in designing and implementing a more sustainable community service. Keywords: forest degradation, ecopreneur, local commodity, added value, saemaul undong