Indigenous Knowledge Cultivation of Local Rice Varieties “Siam Mutiara” and “Siam Saba” at Tidal Swampland

Indonesian Research Institute for Swampland Agriculture Jl. Kebun Karet, Loktabat Utara, Banjarbaru 70712

^* Corresponding author: izhar.balittra@gmail.com

Abstract

Tidal swampland at present and in the future is very strategic as one of the national food barns considering sloping of productive land. In South Kalimantan, for example, tidal swamp paddy fields are available which is quite large, but the most are still planted with local varieties. More than 70% of rice cultivation in the tidal swampland is planted with various local varieties. The existence of local rice varieties is inseparable from its adaptability and acceptability factors. Among local varieties that are popular and widely planted by farmers are Siam Saba and Siam Mutiara varieties. Siam Saba and Siam Mutiara were released as local-improved varieties. Both of these varieties have their respective advantages, both from the distribution of plant adaptation and the potential benefits of yield. Siam Saba variety is widespread in tidal swampland of acid sulfate soil types and soils that are seawater intrusion in the dry season (near the coast) with A/B overflow type, while Siam Mutiara in acid sulfate tidal paddy fields with B / C overflow type. Some of the advantages of Siam Saba compared to other local varieties are high yield potential of 4.70 t / ha, a large number of tillers, small and slender grain shape, white rice color, and amylose content of 81.69%. Whereas improved of Siam Mutiara is high yield potential of 4.80 t / ha, the color of clean yellow grain, the color of clear and translucent rice such as pearl, and amylose content of 48.88%. Both varieties showed uniform in growth, flowering time, and ripening simultaneously, in mature panicles with almost no green grains, and a high percentage of unfertile grains. Local rice cultivation technology (Siam Saba and Siam Mutiara) indigenous knowledge here includes seedbed, transplanting, land preparation, fertilizing, pest disease control, harvest, and post-harvest processing or yields carried out by indigenous farmers. This indigenous cultivation technology until now in tidal swamp paddy fields of South Kalimantan is still widely practiced by farmers, especially for ownership of narrow or limited rice fields. There were advantages and disadvantages of each in the practice of indigenous cultivation technology.