Water saving rice cultivation using sheet-pipe subsurface irrigation.

Water saving in rice cultivation has assumed paramount importance, especially in the context of climate change. The introduction of sheet-pipe technology in Indonesia heralded as an innovative subsurface irrigation and drainage system, is poised to revolutionize how to manage this vital resource. Our study was designed with two primary objectives: first, to investigate how rice plants respond when water levels are deliberately reduced using the sheet-pipe technology; and second, to comprehensively analyze water productivity and water use efficiency in comparison to conventional flooded rice cultivation systems. We conducted two distinct experiments: one employing sheet-pipe subsurface irrigation (SSI) and the other utilizing conventional flooded irrigation (CFI). In the SSI setup, the water level was maintained at a depth of 5-10 cm below the soil surface 20 days after transplanting to harvesting. With this setting, the soil moisture was maintained at around 85-95 degrees of saturation. On the other hand, the CFI approach involved water flowing directly over the soil surface, with the water level consistently maintained at a mere 2-3 cm above it. Interestingly, while the SSI method did lead to a reduction in yield, it has significant benefits. Our results showed that a reduction in yield was observed for the SSI 15.5-18.6 % lower compared to the conventional method (CFI). However, the SSI is environmentally benefit compared to the conventional method by reducing 37.5-50.5 % in water irrigation, increasing water use efficiency (WUE) up to 70.8 %, and improving 3.2-10.4 % in water productivity. Our findings reveal that optimizing water conservation may have a disadvantageous effect on rice yield, indicating the importance of optimal water level. Future research to find the optimal water level that balances yield production and environment is required, especially to adapt to dry and warming climate change in the future.

Evaluating the effect of climate change on rice production in Indonesia using multimodelling approach.

Achieving global food security in the face of climate change is a critical challenge, particularly in vulnerable countries like Indonesia. To effectively address this challenge, a systems-based approach utilizing climate-hydrological-crop models has emerged as an integral approach. These models integrate climate, hydrological, and crop components to understand and predict the complex interactions within agricultural systems and their responses to climate variables. By employing this approach, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders can gain comprehensive insights into the potential consequences of climate change on crop growth, water availability, soil fertility, and overall crop yield. However, challenges exist in the implementation of this approach, including data reliability; scarcity of complete long-term data; lack of experimental information about crop species, especially local varieties; inadequate research resources; lack of expertise concerning modeling approaches; lack of testing; inaccurate testing; calibration; and model uncertainties. Furthermore, to address limitations and challenges in implementing this approach, improving the availability and reliability of data, collection method, and data quality should be conducted to ensure the accuracy of simulation and prediction. Finally, climate-hydrological-crop models, alongside improved data collection and modelling techniques, serve as essential tools for guiding the development of effective adaptation measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change on rice production in Indonesia.