Land Optimization of Cocoa Based Farming for Agricultural Sustainable Development in Krueng Seulimum Watershed Aceh Province.

Changes in land use in the watershed at present tend to increase due to the construction activity and population growth rate which have the quite high and those cause negative impacts on hydrological wathershed condition. Changes in land use in the Krueng Seulimum watershed to agriculture and farming without application of agro technology have led to high attrition and low land productivity, and those are shown by the low production of cocoa in the up-stream, sedimentation and high fluctuation in the down-stream. This study aims firstly, to assess the characteristics of the land and agro-technology applied to the cocoa crop in the Krueng Seulimum watershed, secondly, to analyze the rate of erosion and surface run off on cocoa based farming land in the Krueng Seulimum watershed, thirdly, to analyze the optimal land allocation for cocoa and agro-technology based farming to reduce erosion and increase the income of farmers in the Krueng Seulimum watershed, and finally, to formulate sustainable cocoa based farming in the Krueng Seulimum watershed. This study used the survey and field measurement methods that were started with mapping land units. Map of land units was used as the basic unit in analysis of land capability class, soil suitability, erosion prediction, Etol and determination of respondent farmer sample for farming analysis. Bio-physical land data collection such as soil properties, soil characteristics , and climate were used for analysing of land capability class, land suitability evaluation, prediction of erosion and Etol. Socio-economic data collection likes characteristics of farmers, farm land, means of production, crop production, cultivation techniques, and others, were conducted through field surveys and interviews with respondent farmers for farming analysis. To determine the effect of soil and water conservation technologies for runoff and erosion, it was conducted the erosion plot experiments in the field. Analysis of erosion criteria and farming income used the optimization of sustainable cocoa-based farming with a dual purpose program. Determination analysis of sustainable cocoa-based farm with making decision tools used the criteria of land suitability, erosion rates under tolerable erosion conditions, the income should be above the needs of decent living. The results showed that the Krueng Seulimum watershed consists of 24 units of land (SL). The land is classified as class III , IV and VI with the main limiting factors as follow: the slope factor (l), erosion (e) , soil erodiblity (KE) and the rocks on the surface soil (b). Most of the cocoa farming lands belong to the quite suitable class (S2) and marginally suitable class (S3). In general, the use of land in Seulimum Krueng watershed is in accordance with the land capability and land suitability. Result of run off and erosion measurements on experimental plots showed that the type of cocoa + areca farming got the lowest runoff and erosion (AP = 16.00 mm and erosion = 400.7 kg ha-1) and straw mulching treatment 18 kg plot-1 (5 tons ha-1) in each treatment also had apparent influence to run off and erosion on the type of cocoa + areca + mulch farming (AP = 7.29 mm and erosion = 141.8 kg ha-1). Erosion prediction calculations on some land uses in the Krueng Seulimum watershed showed that the greatest prediction erosion occurred in the shrub land use and dry land farming. Erosion prediction value on shrub land use ranged from 30.71 - 292.98 tons ha-1 year-1, erosion prediction on dry land use ranged from 27.60 - 118.19 tons ha-1 year-1, erosion prediction on pasture land use ranged from 9.92 ton ha-1 year-1 - 62.98 tons ha-1 year-1, prediction of erosion on secondary forest land use ranged between 1.26 - 6.94 tons ha-1 year-1. Cocoa based farming conducted farmers in the Krueng Seulimum watershed ranges from 1.0 -1.50 ha (45.45 %), the average number of family member is 5 people , and the KHL value is Rp 28 million ha-1 kk-1 year-1. Cocoa-based farming conducted by farmers in the Krueng Seulimum watershed on area of 1.0 acres shows that all types of farming such as K, KP and KPS, are not sustainable because the income is less than KHL, and from erosion indicator, it shows that the erosion value obtained is still above Etol value, namely 54.38 tons ha-1 year-1 - 135.89 tons ha-1 year-1. Sustainable cocoa based farming in the Krueng Seulimum watershed can be achieved with the implementation of agro-fertilizing by giving complete fertilizer at 7 % slopes, gulud terracing with terrace booster crops on slope of 14 % and gulud terracing, terrace amplifier crops + mulching 6 tons ha-1 year-1 on slope of 21% can reduce erosion to become smaller than the tolerable erosion and provide income farming greater than the need for decent living (KHL). Dual purpose program analysis results indicated that the most optimal type of cocoa-based farming applied in the Krueng Seulimum watershed is the type of cocoa farming + banana (KPs) in an area of 1.5 ha by implementing agro- fertilization, gulud terracing with amplifier plants plus mulching 6 tons ha-1 year-1. this type can suppress the erosion under Etol 16.03 - 38.64 tons ha-1 year-1 dan increase optimum revenue of Rp 42.954.150 kk ha-1 year-1, much larger than the KHL. Development plan of cocoa-based farming in each land unit by using a decision tool, it was obtainaed SL 5 and SL 9 which were suitable to develop cocoa + areca crops with the application of agro-fertilizing. SL 1, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11 were suitable for developing cocoa + areca crops with the application of agro-fertilizing with gulud terracing plus amplifier crops. SL 2, 12, 14, 15 and 16 are developed for cocoa +banana crops by applicating agro-fertilization with gulud terracing plus terrace amplifier crops + mulching 6 tons ha-1 year-1.