This paper’s working hypothesis is that the indigenous farming practices of Timorese farmers are those most suitable and adaptable with regard to these farmers’ circumstances. Intensive farming and the acceleration of land conversion in Java lead to a reduction in favorable cropland and the degradation of soil biology. To meet the demand for food production, unfavorable areas outside Java, including marginal semi-arid areas on Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara province, have become an important option. Unfortunately, the national crop production policy has paid less attention to the specific biophysical characteristics of the region and how local people have adapted to the diverse marginal environment. We review the literature in the areas of soil nutrition retention and soil biology, vegetation/crop diversity, and farming practices/management, including local wisdom on soil management. This paper highlights that the values of the chemical parameters of the soils in question are varied, but generally range from low to high. The existence of beneficial micro-organisms is important both for improving soil fertility and due to their association with local vegetation/crops. Traditional farming practices, such as the local agroforestry of Mamar, have effectively preserved the existence of micro-organisms that promote conservation practices, crop/vegetation diversity, and sustainable agriculture. We recommend that the expansion of croplands and crop production into marginal semi-arid areas needs to be considered and adapted while taking into consideration sustainability and environmentally sound traditional practices.

Risk and uncertainty in grain crop production are common in marginal semi-arid environments, such as East Nusa Tenggara province. Growing root and tuber crops in a mixed-cropping system is one of the strategies developed by smallholder farmers to substitute food grains and minimize risk. Nevertheless, root and tuber crops are not prioritized for food production systems since food crops in Indonesia are based more on grain and wetland rice production systems. This paper reviews cassava crops, which are widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. This paper contributes to understanding the roles of cassava for smallholder farmers, the diversity of the cassava germ plasm, the progress made to increase cassava productivity, and the potency of cassava crops to improve farmers’ incomes. This paper highlights that, in the low and erratic rainfall of dominant semi-arid regions, the development of cassava is pivotal to secure the harvest of food crops or food availability and income generation for marginal farmers.

Padi adalah bahan makanan pokok penting di Indonesia, tetapi produktivitasnya di Manggarai Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur masih rendah. Penggunaan Varietas Unggul Baru (VUB) dengan Pengelolaan Tanaman Terpadu (PTT) merupakan salah satu kunci peningkatan produksi padi di NTT. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menemukan varietas yang beradaptasi baik di Manggarai Barat dengan penerapan PTT untuk direkomendasikan sebagai alternatif pilihan petani. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada Mei-Agustus 2021 di Desa Compang Longgo Kecamatan Komodo Kabupaten Manggarai Barat. Budidaya menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap. Perlakuannya adalah tiga VUB: Inpari 42 Agritan GSR, Inpari 48 Blas, Inpari IR Nutri zinc, dan satu varietas yang sudah tersebar luas Inpari 32 HDB sebagai pembanding. Semua varietas dibudidayakan dengan menggunakan paket teknologi PTT. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan varietas berpengaruh nyata (P0,05). Hasil VUB yang diuji berkisar antara 6,87-7,28 ton GKG/ha lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan varietas pembanding Inpari 32 HDB. Lebih lanjut, secara ekonomi penerapan VUB dengan teknologi PTT di Manggarai Barat layak diusahakan (B/C>1). Inpari 42 Agritan GSR, Inpari 48 Blas, Inpari IR Nutri Zinc dengan penerapan PTT mampu beradaptasi baik dan layak diusahakan di Kabupaten Manggarai Barat sebagai alternatif varietas untuk petani.