In this study, we aimed to improve rice farmers’ productivity and profitability in rainfed lowlands through appropriate crop and nutrient management by closing the rice yield gap during the dry season in the rainfed lowlands of Indonesia. The Integrated Crop Management package, involving recommended practices (RP) from the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD), were compared to the farmers’ current practices at ten farmer-participatory demonstration plots across ten provinces of Indonesia in 2019. The farmers’ practices (FP) usually involved using old varieties in their remaining land and following their existing fertilizer management methods. The results indicate that improved varieties and nutrient best management practices in rice production, along with water reservoir infrastructure and information access, contribute to increasing the productivity and profitability of rice farming. The mean rice yield increased significantly with RP compared with FP by 1.9 t ha⁻¹ (ranges between 1.476 to 2.344 t ha⁻¹), and net returns increased, after deducting the cost of fertilizers and machinery used for irrigation supplements, by USD 656 ha⁻¹ (ranges between USD 266.1 to 867.9 ha⁻¹) per crop cycle. This represents an exploitable yield gap of 37%. Disaggregated by the wet climate of western Indonesia and eastern Indonesia’s dry climate, the RP increased rice productivity by 1.8 and 2.0 t ha⁻¹, with an additional net return gain per cycle of USD 600 and 712 ha⁻¹, respectively. These results suggest that there is considerable potential to increase the rice production output from lowland rainfed rice systems by increasing cropping intensity and productivity. Here, we lay out the potential for site-specific variety and nutrient management with appropriate crop and supplemental irrigation as an ICM package, reducing the yield gap and increasing farmers’ yield and income during the dry season in Indonesia’s rainfed-prone areas.

The potency and challenges of sorghum development in tidal swamplands in Indonesia have yet to be well studied. Thus, our study is the first to evaluate the land suitability, economic performance, and strategies for developing sorghum in the tidal swamplands in Central Kalimantan. We use the land suitability evaluation method, a gross margin and profit analysis, a break-even analysis, and a competitive analysis as the methods for assessing the potency and utilization of sorghum in this study. As a tool for decision-making, SWOT was also used, followed by a quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM) analysis. The results show that 578,511 ha of arable land is suitable for sorghum development. Economically, sorghum farming can generate IDR 12,894,000 per ha with a revenue-cost ratio of 1.72; the break-even price would be IDR 2447 per kg, around 42% lower than the current market price. Sorghum is also more competitive than cassava (Q = 0.76), sweet potato (Q = 0.58), and soybeans (Q = 0.61) and less competitive than maize (Q = 1.33). Based on the QSPM analysis, five alternative strategies were obtained for developing sorghum in tidal swamplands: (1) optimization of productivity; (2) improvement in the quality of human resources for farmers; (3) facilitation of partnership cooperation; (4) application of site-specific technology; and (5) optimization of waste utilization. These strategies show that the expansion of sorghum planting has potential in the tidal swamplands and economic value for the community.

In developing new superior rice varieties, farmers’ preferences are important things to study and high yield potential. The study aimed to obtain new superior varieties of adaptive rice based on plant growth and productivity performance and determine respondents’ preferences for the varieties studied. The study was conducted in rainfed rice fields, Majalengka Regency, West Java Province, from April to August 2020. The study used a randomized block with 6 treatments: Inpari 32 varieties, Inpari 39, Inpari 42, Inpari 43, Pajajaran, and Siliwangi, and repeated 5 times. The observed parameters consisted of: growth, yield components, and yields were analyzed by ANOVA followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a 5% level. The respondent’s preference test for grain and rice and organoleptic characters used a Likert scale and analyzed non-parametrically (Friedman test). The results showed that the Inpari 43 variety gave the highest yield. Still, farmers preferred the Inpari 32 variety to be developed because it has characters favored by farmers (respondents), namely short plant height, a large number of tillers, thin grain shape, white rice color, and fluffier rice taste.

The potency and challenges of sorghum development in tidal swamplands in Indonesia have yet to be well studied. Our research was the first to evaluate land suitability, economic performance, and strategies for developing sorghum in tidal swamplands in Central Kalimantan. The assessment methods for the potency and utilization of sorghum used the land suitability evaluation method, gross margin and profit analysis, break-even, and competitive analysis. As a tool for decision-making, we used SWOT followed by the quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM) analysis. The results showed that the potency of arable land suitable for sorghum development was 578,511 ha. Economically, sorghum farming can generate an IDR 12,894,000 per ha with a revenue-cost ratio of 1.72; the break-even price was IDR 2,447 per kg, around 42% lower than the current market price. Sorghum was also more competitive than cassava, sweet potato, and soybeans (Q values of 0.76, 0.58, and 0.61, respectively) and less competitive than maize (Q = 1.33). Based on the QSPM, there were five alternative strategies for developing sorghum in tidal swamplands, i.e., (1) Optimization of productivity, (2) Improving the quality of human resources of farmers, (3) Facilitation of partnership cooperation, (4) Application of site-specific technology, and (5) Optimization of waste utilization. Those strategies show the potential expansion of sorghum planting in the tidal swamplands and the economic value enhancement for the community.

The innovation technology studied was water-efficient rice cultivation based on specific organic rainfed rice fields (Patbo Super). The research was conducted in Keboncau Village, West Java Province. The research was conducted on a 14 hectares of rainfed rice field during the Dry Season from July to December 2018. The objectives of the study were: to analyze the performance of the “Patbo Super” and to analyze the level of farmers perceptions of the “Patbo Super”. Data were collected through observation, direct measurements and interviews. Data analysis was carried out descriptively. The results reported that the “Patbo Super” technology could increase the Rainfed Rice Cropping Index from 200 to 300; Technically, the performance of rainfed lowland rice cultivation Patbo Super is relatively good with an average rice yield of 7.29 t/ha. Patbo Super is economically profitable and if seen from the value of its farming efficiency it is feasible to be developed with an RC ratio of> 1; and The majority of farmers gave a positive respond to the “Patbo Super”, technology package because it provides benefits, did not interfere with the culture of local farmers, was in accordance with land conditions and farmers’ socio-economic capacities and was easy to implement.