Improving Land Conservation in Dryland Food Crops Farming in Sub-Watershed Upstream Solo, Indonesia

Abstract

Sustainable dryland farming can work well if land conservation is executed and maintained properly. The objective of the research is to evaluate land conservation, to analyze the social and economic factors that influence land conservation, and to improve land conservation activities. The research is conducted at upstream sub-watershed in Solo through a survey and in-depth study on 144 households who are food crop farmers in dryland crops production centers. The result of the study indicates that most farmers implement moderate to high land conservation activities. Factors that affect the land conservation include crops farming income, horticulture and perennial crops income, non-farm and off-farm income, household income, the area of land, the number of household members, and the age of the farmer. Owner-cultivator farmers implement land conservation better than other farmers do. Farmers working on lands located to the south of reservoir implement land conservation in the same way as other farmers. The efforts to improve land conservation are encouraging farmers to conserve their own lands, paying attention to factors that significantly affect land conservation and land institutions, and sharing the result of the research to stakeholders.