Penanganan Ledakan Hama Wereng Batang Coklat di Desa Sukamaju Berbasis Riset Aksi Partisipatoris

Abstract

The majority of residents in Cihaurbeuti Subdistrict, Ciamis Regency, work as farmers. One of the most important crops cultivated in the area is rice. Rice production in Cihaurbeuti has experienced significant fluctuations. In 2021, total rice production reached 22,728 tons, but it declined to 19,317 tons in 2022. Based on discussions with farmers, this decline may be attributed to several factors, including poor seed quality, insufficient plant nutrition, the absence of straw return to the field, and pest and disease problems. These challenges prompted farmers in Sukamaju Village, Cihaurbeuti Subdistrict, to request assistance from the Tani Nelayan Center team to help address these issues. The IPB team applied a participatory approach to problem-solving, which received very positive responses from farmers at the activity location. In addition to soil analysis results indicating that soil conditions were still relatively good, the participatory action approach helped identify the actual problems faced by the community and revealed that the issue was not caused by seed quality or seed varieties as initially perceived by farmers during the first consultation. This process encouraged farmers, as they felt the importance of understanding the problems they faced more thoroughly and then taking action to address them.