Abstract
Two rainfed rice areas in Indonesia were studied to evaluate their current production practices. In North Sumatera (NS), double rice cropping is commonly practiced because its annual rainfall is evenly distributed. Pests, diseases and weather were the primary risks considered by farmers. Sowing timing is critical for a smooth transition from one season to the other, and to avoid water shortage at the later stage of rice growth. In West Nusa Tenggara (WNT), farmers plant around October and harvest around the end of March. They do not grow a second rice crop despite favorable rainfall condition. Farmers incurred a large rice deficit after every cropping due to large production cost and/or loan with interest. Labor accounted for 43% and 64% of the total production cost in NS and WNT, respectively. To improve this situation, mechanization is recommended by national government. However, mechanization entails additional costs which could be a burden to subsistence farmers. Farmers in WNT did not grow a second rice crop due to the high risk of weather extremes at the beginning and end of the rainy season. Results of the grain yield simulation indicated that farmers in NS used substantial amount of supplementary water throughout the cropping seasons to boost grain yield which burdened the household economy. The application of seasonal climate predictions to generate relevant information including an optimum cropping calendar could help farmers plan their production and use their finite resources more efficiently.
