Towards Sustainable Agricultural Development of Kotawaringin Barat Regency, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to establish an approach to land development for sustainable agriculture of the Kotawaringin Barat Regency, Kalimantan, Indonesia. The study comprised three parts, namely, developing the agroecological zone (AEZ), establishing agricultural land regions, and determining land suitability of these regions for several existing crops. On the basis of land characteristics, climatic data, 4-slope classes, and the isohyperthermic temperature regime, Kota-waringin Barat Regency was divided into four main agroecological zones. The area covered by zone I, II, III, and IV were 12.45%, 33.4%, 10.89%, and 43.26%, respectively. The steep upland areas of zone I would be left undisturbed for native forest and wildlife reservation. The moderately steep areas of zone II would be suitable for hardy perennial crops. The gentle sloping areas of zone III would be suitable for agroforestry and annual crop cultivation. Depending upon the soil types, the lowland, and swampy areas of zone IV would either be left for mangrove forest production or for annual crop cultivation. Overlaying the AEZ map with the present land use map generated an agricultural land region map, creating areas known as extensification, intensification and conservation zones. These areas are biophysically determined and ecologically sustainable. More than 60% of the total land area of Kotawaringin is suitable for agriculture, leaving almost 40% for native forest conservation. The arable agricultural lands under the extensification and intensification zones were evaluated for their suitability to some existing perennial and annual crops cultivation. The lands were classified as highly suitable (S1) to marginally suitable (S3) for commercial crops such as rubber and oil palm, and staple food crops like upland rice and wetland rice.