Utilizing, improving, and developing dry land is a very suitable strategy and has great potential to improve the welfare of poor farmers in dry land areas.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is continuing to conduct research and develop agriculture technology for dry land, including preparing farming infrastructure in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), a BRIN researcher has said.

“On a large scale, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry has identified both surface water resources and groundwater resources. We have also identified water reservoirs in several locations and all water sources in NTB for various small water sources," Dr. Ahmad Suriadi informed here on Friday.

Around 100 thousand hectares of potential land in NTB is being used as long storage, namely for the development of water catchment areas on flat land around irrigation canals, he said. In addition, small-scale pipelines, dams, and ditch dams have also been prepared for agricultural irrigation.

"We will use dams to distribute the water to agriculture areas," he added.

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Produced using the technology of the Center for Crop and Agricultural Research, many varieties of rice have been proven to be suitable for dry land, such as Inpago 3 to 10, including Inpari 13 and Inpari 42, which are varieties that are quite dry resistant.

"Besides rice, we also found dry-resistant corn, such as Bima 20 Uri and Bima 19 Uri, Dena soybeans, and peanuts, which are quite resistant to dry land," Suriadi informed.

To allow the use of dry land for farming in NTB, researchers have also developed sprinkle irrigation technology for shallots and chilies, he said.

"Sprinkle irrigation technology for shallots in the dry season has been widely used by farmers in East Lombok and in Sumbawa district on Sumbawa Island. Likewise for chili plants," he added.

So far, only 15–20 percent of the 1.7 million hectares of dry land in NTB has been put to use. Suriadi said he hopes that more efficient technology will support the development of the irrigation system so that dry land in NTB can be utilized.

"Utilizing, improving, and developing dry land is a very suitable strategy and has great potential to improve the welfare of poor farmers in dry land areas," he added..
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Translator: Fitra Ashari, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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