This paper discusses the recent changes in cultivation of maize in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province. The authors present data to show the increases in area cultivated and in productivity of maize production in the region. Furthermore, they discuss how the pattern of maize varieties used in this province has changed in the last 15 years, namely from a wide use of local/white varieties (up to 40 per cent use in 1995), towards an increased use of open-pollinated superior varieties and hybrid maize varieties in the late 2000s.

This study explores the feasibility of weather index insurance (WII) in providing cost-effective risk management benefits to rural people for coping with catastrophic events. It uses a case study on drought coverage for maize production in three provinces in eastern Indonesia: East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Lombok. Prototype WII contracts were developed for selected areas within these provinces. The contracts were found to provide appropriate coverage for crop losses resulting from rainfall deficit, but the estimated premiums for farmers would be expensive.

Maize yields in West Timor average around 2 t/ha, but have the potential to reach more than 4 t/ha with improved varieties, agronomy and nutrition. This paper explores the agronomic and physical characteristics of West Timor's landrace maize and production systems to determine the best approach for improving maize production and yield in West Timor. The research trials five maize varieties—three West Timor landrace populations and two open pollinated varieties—and grows them in the villages of Benlutu and Mnelalete in East Nusa Tenggara.

Maize is an important commodity in Nusa Tenggara Barat province as it has a strategic role in meeting the food needs of the people and the demand of feed industries in the region. However, raising productivity to meet the growing demand for maize requires the use of hybrids with high yield potential. This paper examines the potential yield of hybrids of harapan grown in dryland agro-ecosystems. Research was carried out in Perigi village—the centre of dryland maize production—in Suela subdistrict of Lombok Timur during the 2005/2006 rainy season.

This paper explores maize productivity and the yield gap in maize production in five provinces of Sulawesi. The research is based on secondary data collected for the period of 2001 to 2007 on harvested area, production, seed distribution and productivity. The findings revealed that average maize production and productivity varied significantly across the five provinces, from 64,664 tons in Central Sulawesi to 698,198 tons in South Sulawesi and from 2.21 t/ha in Southeast Sulawesi to 3.39 t/ha in Gorontalo. The paper documents the main constraints to production, including biophysical (e.g.

While maize production in Indonesia continues to increase, the country remains a net importer of maize. This report details the maize value chain from producers through to processors and retailers, and identifies opportunities for future development activities for increased competitiveness and farmer income in Eastern Indonesia. Analysis was informed by interviews with key sectors of the maize value chain in West Nusa Tenggara, East Java and East Nusa Tenggara.

Boosting productivity of rice and maize in rice-maize cropping systems requires efficient fertilizer management to improve the nutrition status of the soil. However, fertilizer rates for rice-maize cropping systems are conventionally calculated separately for each commodity regardless of the fertilizer residue of the preceding crop. This paper explores the impact of balancing and phasing nutrients for both crops on crop yields. It is based on an experiment conducted at the ICERI experimental farm in Maros during 2007.

Cropping intensity of rice in lowlands in Indonesia is decreasing, presenting an opportunity to increase cropping intensity by planting maize. In this paper, Fadhly et al. suggest that in order to increase maize production, which does not meet the current demand for feed in Indonesia, maize cropping systems could be shifted to lowlands by promoting increased cropping intensity using rice-rice-maize, rice-maize-maize or rice-maize-fallow cropping patterns.

In this article, Da Silva and Murdolelono assess the feasibility of new maize cultivation technology in enhancing maize productivity, farmer income and food security among farming households in East Nusa Tenggara. The authors use data gathered through an experiment with 30 farmers in South Timor Tengah district during the 2007/08 rainy season. The new technologies were the open-pollenated maize variety Srikandi and recommendations on fertilizers and plant spacing.

The productivity of maize on Timor Island (<2.5 tonnes/ha) is significantly lower than that at the national level (>3.5 tonnes/ha) due to a combination of agronomic, climatic, edaphic and social-related factors. This study explores the availability of production and marketing of local maize in Kupang and Timor Tengah Selatan districts by analysing maize availability (quantity, quality and seasonality), prices, and local markets (suppliers, supply and demand behaviour and distribution systems).