THE PRODUCTIVITY AND PROSPECTIVE OF COIX LACRYMA-JOBI L. FOR STAPLE FOOD CROP ALTERNATIVE IN EAST KALIMANTAN OF INDONESIA

Abstract

Coix lacryma-jobi L. (Job’s tears) are a native food crop biodiversity of East Kalimantan, this crop generally cultivated altogether with upland rice under sifting cultivation practice. However, since the implementation of rice intensification program by Indonesian government, Job’s tears was left and neglected by farmers along with the reduction of upland rice cultivation practice. The prospective of Job’s tears development as a staple food crop in East Kalimantan was determined by its biological characteristics as a C4 and adapted to the upland ecosystem. This is an initial study of long term research plan for Job’s tears development in East Kalimantan, to evaluate some experiments on productivity of Job’s tears under traditional cultivation and fertilizer application. The productivity of Job’s tears was determined by using some indicators, i.e. crop yield, number of tillers, number of grain per panicle, and grain weight. Results of the study showed that the average productivity of Job’s tears under traditional cultivation was about 5 metric ton ha-1 and varies from about 3 metric ton up to >8 metric ton ha-1. Application of compound fertilizer at the dosage of 200 kg ha-1 was increased the 1.000 grain weight more than 15% and also increased grain yield more than 25%. Those data elaborated that Job’s tears productivity might be improved through soil fertility management, and it was prospective to develop as staple food crop alternative for staple food diversification program in East Kalimantan.