The productivity and prospective of job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) development for staple food crop alternative in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract

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

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