Land suitability study for the development of rice production in Moruku Village, Papua Pegunungan Province to support food security

Abstract

Yahukimo Regency is one of the districts in Papua Island which has high food insecurity. The staple food of the local community is generally tubers. However, changing consumption patterns from tubers to rice is one of the challenges and problems for local governments to ensure the sustainability and safety of food ingredients. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical and physical quality of the soil in the area of food crop cultivation development, as well as engineering recommendations for the development of rice cultivation technology based on the results of soil quality analysis in the study area. The research was conducted in Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency using a descriptive qualitative research approach using an experimental method. Analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the soil was carried out at the Bogor ICBB Laboratory. The results showed that the organic C content in the soil was included in class S1, meaning it was suitable for rice cultivation. However, the level of acidity and indications of levels of Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Zinc (Zn) are very high. While the results of nutrient analysis available on the parameters Total N, P2O5 and K2O are all included in class S1, meaning that the nutrients available in the soil are suitable for the development of lowland rice cultivation. For this reason, it is suggested that technological engineering be carried out, namely with a soil washing system on agricultural land, applying dolomite lime, using organic fertilizers, and selecting varieties that have a level of adaptation and tolerance to high acidity. What is novel in this study is the chemical and physical properties of the soil which can be further identified as an effort to determine the potential for new natural resources in the research area.