Agronomic Performance and Economic Benefits of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Under Drip Irrigation for Sandy and Clay Soils in East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) growth and production are greatly affected by water availability. The lack of water availability in sugarcane cultivation can be surmounted by irrigation. In performing irrigation, it is essential to understand the sugarcane crop water requirement and soil texture as they influence the irrigation efficiency. To date, drip irrigation is considered as the most efficient type of irrigation. This study aimed to investigate both agronomic performance and economic benefits of different irrigation methods for sugarcane grown in sandy (in Kediri) and clay (in Pasuruan) soils. The irrigation treatments were surface drip irrigation, sub-surface drip irrigation, and conventional irrigation, while the conventional irrigation through drains was the control treatment. The experimental design was a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. In sandy soil, both surface and sub-surface drip irrigation led to better agronomical performance yet the conventional irrigation showed a contrasting result. Sugarcane productivity under surface drip irrigation, sub-surface drip irrigation, and conventional irrigation were 81.29, 110.33, and 69.25 tons ha^-1, respectively. Meanwhile, in clay soil, there were no prominent differences of agronomic parameters between all irrigation treatments. Sugarcane productivity under surface drip irrigation, sub-surface drip irrigation, and conventional irrigation were 79.03, 60.58, and 78.16 tons ha^-1,respectively. The water cost used to produce one kg of sugarcane biomass under conventional irrigation, surface drip irrigation, and sub-surface drip irrigation in sandy soil were IDR 169, IDR 103, and IDR 87, while the cost in clay soil were IDR 443, IDR 218, and IDR 293, respectively.

Abstrak. Pertumbuhan dan produksi tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.) dipengaruhi oleh ketersediaan air. Kekurangan air dalam budidaya tebu dapat dipenuhi melalui irigasi. Dalam melakukan irigasi, penting untuk mengetahui kebutuhan air tebu dan tekstur tanah karena kedua faktor tersebut mempengaruhi efisiensi irigasi. Hingga saat ini, irigasi tetes merupakan salah satu jenis irigasi yang paling efisien dalam pertanian. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui performa agronomis serta keuntungan ekonomis berbagai metode irigasi pada tanaman tebu yang ditanam di tanah bertekstur pasir (di Kediri) dan lempung (di Pasuruan). Perlakuan irigasi pada penelitian ini yaitu irigasi tetes permukaan, irigasi tetes bawah permukaan, dan irigasi konvensional, dimana irigasi konvensional yang diberikan melalui parit menjadi perlakuan kontrol. Desain percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap, dengan tiga ulangan. Pada tanah pasir, performa agronomis tebu pada perlakuan irigasi tetes permukaan dan bawah permukaan lebih baik daripada irigasi konvensional. Produktivitas tebu pada irigasi tetes permukaan, irigasi tetes bawah permukaan, dan konvensional di tanah pasir masing-masing sebesar 81,29 ton ha^-1, 110,33 ton ha^-1 dan 69,25 ton ha^-1. Pada lokasi percobaan di tanah lempung, tidak ada perbedaan agronomis tebu yang signifikan antar perlakuan irigasi. Produktivitas tebu pada irigasi tetes permukaan, irigasi tetes bawah permukaan, dan konvensional di tanah lempung masing-masing sebesar 79,03 ton ha^-1, 60,58 ton ha^-1, dan 78,16 ton ha^-1. Biaya air yang digunakan untuk memproduksi satu kilogram tebu dengan perlakuan irigasi konvensional, irigasi tetes permukaan, dan irigasi tetes bawah permukaan di tanah pasir masing-masing sebesar IDR 169, IDR 103, dan IDR 87, sedangkan di tanah lempung masing-masing sebesar IDR 443, IDR 218, dan IDR 293.