October 8, 2025
By Dr. Ike Sari Astuti (Universitas Negeri Malang, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography)
By Dr. Ike Sari Astuti (Universitas Negeri Malang, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography)
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As part of the MyINDAH Diet – Inclusive Digital Solutions for Healthy and Sustainable Diets and Food Security in Java’s Urban and Peri-Urban Food Systems project, Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) has successfully established a rice demonstration plot in Sidoarjo, East Java. Started in 1st August 2025, the rice plots forms a part of the project’s Climate Cluster, aimed at improving the accuracy of climate and yield prediction models for sustainable rice production under changing climatic conditions. Conducted during the dry-to-wet transition season of 2025, the Sidoarjo plot generates standardized, high-quality field data that serves to validate AquaCrop, the FAO-developed model simulating rice yield responses to varying water regimes. |
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With advocacy from a BRIN Research Center of Crop’s scientist, the plots focus on quantifying the combined impacts of irrigation and fertilization strategies on rice growth, water productivity, and yield. Three irrigation systems, full irrigation, alternate wetting and drying (AWD-1 and AWD-2)—and three fertilizer levels (above, optimum, under ) were tested to assess crop responses under realistic field conditions. Early findings reveal promising growth seedling survival and variations between irrigation treatments. The resulting datasets—covering soil moisture, canopy development, biomass, and yield components—will be applied as part of AquaCrop calibration and validation, enhancing the reliability of model predictions for Indonesia’s peri-urban rice systems
This activity represents a strong example of collaboration under the KONEKSI-funded MyINDAH partnership, involving BRIN, IPB University, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Monash University, and The University of Queensland (UQ), along with other Clusters implemented by UGM, CHIRPS and Parti Gastronomi. Together, these institutions integrate advanced modeling, nutrition, and digital innovation to address the intertwined challenges of climate change, food security, and social inclusion. UM’s contribution directly supports MyINDAH’s broader goal of producing actionable data and digital tools for policymakers, researchers, and smallholder farmers across Java.
Moving forward, UM will continue with similar study in Bandung and potentially carry out post-harvest nutrient analyses before conducting joint technical reviews with UQ, IPB, and Monash. The expected output will support promoting adaptive irrigation scheduling, optimized fertilization, and sustainable production practices. This collaboration underscores the project’s commitment to evidence-based, inclusive, and climate-resilient agriculture, strengthening Indonesia’s leadership in sustainable food-system transformation.
This activity represents a strong example of collaboration under the KONEKSI-funded MyINDAH partnership, involving BRIN, IPB University, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Monash University, and The University of Queensland (UQ), along with other Clusters implemented by UGM, CHIRPS and Parti Gastronomi. Together, these institutions integrate advanced modeling, nutrition, and digital innovation to address the intertwined challenges of climate change, food security, and social inclusion. UM’s contribution directly supports MyINDAH’s broader goal of producing actionable data and digital tools for policymakers, researchers, and smallholder farmers across Java.
Moving forward, UM will continue with similar study in Bandung and potentially carry out post-harvest nutrient analyses before conducting joint technical reviews with UQ, IPB, and Monash. The expected output will support promoting adaptive irrigation scheduling, optimized fertilization, and sustainable production practices. This collaboration underscores the project’s commitment to evidence-based, inclusive, and climate-resilient agriculture, strengthening Indonesia’s leadership in sustainable food-system transformation.