Cropping calendar analysis for dry season 2020 in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia has various rainfall characteristics that result variations in the initial planting time and cropping patterns. The Integrated Cropping Calendar Information System is a guidance for planting rice, maize, and soybean at the right time with sufficient water availability conditions. This paper aimed to analyse the planting schedule and potential planting area of rice, maize, and soybeans in the dry season 2020 at 7,062 sub-districts in Indonesia. Input data were rainfall prediction, spatial-based ETP, soil water availability, wetland area, and rice cropping index. The stages were the analyses on rainfall, calculating soil water balance, and determining potential planting area. The results illustrated that the mean rainfall intensity and rainfall intensities of <60 and 200-300 mm mo−1 were predicted as the widest rainfall coverages in April-June and July-September. The potential planting areas for rice, maize, and soybean were 5,259,661, 1,263,575, and 559,545 ha, respectively. Rice and maize initial planting periods were mainly in April II-II, while soybean in July III-August. Potential planting area for rice can be expanded to become 6,674,428 ha by applying additional water supply from alternative sources at the potential areas of maize and soybean.