ADAPTIVE RICE FARMING FOR POST-FLOOD RECOVERY: CLIMATE-RESILIENT CULTIVATION PRACTICES FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN PULO IBOIH, NORTH ACEH, INDONESIA

Abstract

Flooding and climate variability pose significant challenges to rice farmers in Gampong Pulo Iboih, North Aceh, particularly through disrupted irrigation, declining land conditions, limited access to production inputs, and low adoption of climate-adaptive cultivation technologies. This community empowerment program aimed to strengthen farmers’ capacity to restore rice production through the application of adaptive cultivation technologies and participatory learning. The program was implemented through five stages: socialization and problem identification, technical training, demonstration plot development, mentoring and monitoring, and sustainability planning. Activities combined theoretical instruction with practical learning involving farmer groups, students, lecturers, and village authorities. The intervention included the application of superior rice seed, jajar legowo planting, improved land and water management, integrated pest management, and irrigation pumping, complemented by household-product processing training for women. The program resulted in increased farmer knowledge and skills in land management, superior seed utilization, jajar legowo cultivation, and irrigation management. It also produced a rice demonstration plot, a simple locally made planting tool, a functioning pumping-based irrigation system, and diversified household products. The participatory approach strengthened community ownership and created potential for sustainable adoption of the introduced innovations.