Improving the Climate Resilience of Rice Farming in Flood-Prone Areas through Azolla Biofertilizer and Saline-Tolerant Varieties

Tualar Simarmata,Muhamad Khais Prayoga,Kustiwa Adinata,Mieke R Setiawati,Silke Stöber

doi:10.3390/su132112308

Tualar Simarmata, Muhamad Khais Prayoga + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112308

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Abstract

Rice farming in coastal areas is often victim to flooding as a result of climate change. Low-cost adaptation strategies are required to increase resilience and rice productivity in these flood-prone coastal areas. In this study, enriched Azolla extract (EAE) liquid biofertilizers, combined with selected stress-tolerant rice varieties, were tested in farmers’ fields in Pangandaran, West Java from June to October 2020. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of EAE in increasing the yield of different rice varieties. The research was arranged as a split-plot design with five replications. The main plot was the EAE application (T1 = 3 ton ha−1 compost and T2 = 3 ton ha−1 compost + 10 L ha−1 of EAE), and the sub-plots were stress-tolerant rice varieties (V1 = Inpari 43, V2 = Mawar, V3 = Inpari 30, V4 = Inpara 03, V5 = Mendawak). The application of EAE of 10 L ha−1 significantly affected the rice grain yield, which was 37.06% higher than that of the control plot. The average grain yield of the five varieties under EAE treatment (5.51 ton ha−1) was greater than the grain yield of local farmers’ fields (3.78−4.97 ton ha−1). Inpari 43 had the highest grain yield with 5.90 ton ha−1, but the yield was not significantly different from the Mendawak variety (4.90 ton ha−1). This result suggests that EAE and selected stress-tolerant rice varieties (Inpari 43 or Mendawak) are an effective adaptation strategy to increase rice farms’ resilience and productivity in coastal areas prone to flooding.

Highlights

The increase in rice production in Indonesia is constrained by various factors, one of which is climate change
This study shows that enriched Azolla extract (EAE) is very influential and production of rice 1 ton soil ha−1fertility which supports plants
Based on this research and previous supporting literature, the use of enriched Azolla extract (EAE) combined with stress-tolerant varieties, namely Inpari 43 and Mendawak, is a viable farming practice to adapt to the negative consequences of climate change in coastal areas, such as inundation and salinity stresses. This farmer-led research tested the use of enriched Azolla extract (EAE) at 10 L ha−1 compared to the organic control variant

Summary

Introduction

The increase in rice production in Indonesia is constrained by various factors, one of which is climate change. There is no longer a debate about whether or not climate change exists, but rather about how countries, institutions, and communities can best adapt to the severe impacts of the climate crisis [1]. In the rice farming context, coastal regions are the areas most affected by climate change. One impact of climate change is the change in thermal temperature in the Indian. Ocean which increases the intensity of rainfall on the southern coast of Java. The increase in rainfall intensity in the southern coastal areas of Java such as Pacitan, Trenggalek, and Tulung Agung reached 18−23 mm per year [2]. Increased rainfall increases the risk of flooding in the rice fields

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