Optimizing Dryland Agriculture: Intercropping Corn and Superior Rice Varieties in Maluku, Indonesia

Dryland agriculture faces significant challenges, particularly in tropical regions like Indonesia, due to climate variability and the gradual decline in productive land.One potential solution to enhance agricultural efficiency in these areas is the practice of intercropping.This study examines an engineered management approach that involves intercropping superior maize varieties with high-yielding upland rice varieties to optimize land use and productivity.The experiment was conducted at the Makariki Experimental Garden of the Food Crops Research Center, Maluku, from May to September 2020, using a Randomized Block Design with five treatments and five replications.The intercropping treatments consisted of maize (Nasa 29) combined with five different upland rice varieties: (1) Inpago 8, (2) Inpago 11, (3) Inpago 12, (4) Rindang 1, and (5) Rindang 2. For comparison, monoculture plots of maize (Nasa 29) and monoculture plots of the respective upland rice varieties were also evaluated.Results indicated that intercropping significantly increased maize productivity by 142% compared to monoculture systems.However, upland rice productivity declined by 72% under intercropping conditions.Despite this reduction, all five upland rice varieties (Inpago 8, Inpago 11, Inpago 12, Rindang 1, and Rindang 2) demonstrated suitability for intercropping with maize, as the system improved overall land productivity.The Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) values ranged from 2.11 to 2.45, indicating an increase in dryland productivity by 111-145% compared to monoculture cultivation.These findings confirm that intercropping maize with high-yielding upland rice varieties enhances both land use efficiency and overall crop yield productivity.This approach presents a viable strategy for optimizing dryland agriculture, making better use of available resources while sustaining productivity.