Tanaman porang (Amorphophallus oncophyllus) merupakan salah satu komoditi  unggulan perkebunan  akhir-akhir ini karena berniai ekonomi yang dapat dijadikan berbagai macam produk olahan, mulai dari makananan, kosmetik dan bahan baku industry lainnya. Tanaman umbian ini dapat tumbuh di semua kondisi agroklimat termasuk di kawasan hutan maupun lahan kebun dibawah tegakan pohon. Ada dua strategi pendekatan dalam mengatasi persoalan pengembangan porang yakni sosialisasi inovasi teknik budidaya tanaman porang (terdiri atas: perkembangbiakan menggunakan katak; perbanyakan menggunakan buah/biji; perbanyakan menggunakan umbi) dan yang kedua adalah pengolahan paska panen. Metode pelaksanaan pengabdian pada masyarakat telah dilakukan melalui penyuluhan teknik budidaya tanaman porang, peragaan budidaya tanaman porang di lahan garapan Kelompok Tani dan bimbingan teknik pengolahan pasca panen sederhana. Tanaman porang layak dikembangkan dalam pelestarian sumberdaya hutan, sebagai sarana pengalihan orientasi dan mata pencaharian masyarakat di sekitar hutan dari hasil hutan kayu ke hasil hutan non kayu dalam peningkatan kesejahteraan upaya melestarikan Kawasan penyangga. kandungan nutrisi dalam tanaman porang terbilang kompleks terutama pati, glukomannan, kristal kalsium oksalat, serat kasar dan gula reduksi. Penanganan porang pasca panen menghasilkan beragam bentuk baik berupa keripik (chip), tepung porang dan tepung glucomannan yang dapat digunakan sebagai bahan dasar tepung, mie instan dan produk makanan dan minuman lainnya. Persoalan yang dihadapi petani porang secara umum di lokasi yakni: 1) Permodalan; 2) Keamanan (sering terjadi pencurian tanaman porang di lahan); 3) Kebakaran hutan. Inovasi pembiakan porang berupa: 1) Pebiakan melalui katak atau bubil; 2) Pembiakan dari buah atau biji; 3) Pembiakan dari umbi.

The downstream area of Renggung Watershed is a water conservation zone which is also dominated by rainfed land with dominant vertisol soil-clay fraction. Watershed downstream reaches 40% and is 30% of total area of Renggung Watershed. Rainfed farming is a factor in dry land farming, but the presence of rainfed land in downstream Renggung watershed does not receive intensification treatment as water becomes a limiting factor for plant growth. About 87-90% rainfall events in downstream Renggung watershed happen during the rainy season, from November to April, with 3-4 wet months, while about 10-13% happen during the dry season, from May to October. This means that water is abundant in wet months, but there is a shortage of water during the dry period. Based on zone group, 72% of potential water from rainfall occurs in the downstream zone, 18.3% occurs in the middle zone, and 10.4% in the upstream zone. Three quarters of potential water from rainfall occurs in downstream. Water management on rainfed land in downstream Renggung watershed is still not optimum, which is caused by (a) dependence on supply of water downstream from HLD BR, but discharge has declines in the last six months; (b) poor water management at the farming level, because plants are not cultivated in the right season; and (c) poor management institutions and water user groups, so forums to facilitate and mediate issues in terms of management and use of irrigation water is not optimal.

Forest is an ideal ecosystem for a hydrological cycle, however converting forests to agroforestry or

Bertani di lahan tegalan adalah suatu ikhtiar menantang alam. Pernyataan ini dapat diterima sebagai sebuah fakta, karena kendala yang dihadapai sangatlah kompleks. Ada tiga kendala utama pertanian lahan tegalan, yaitu: faktor biofisik lahan, iklim kering dan sumberdaya manusia. Biofisik lahan dicirikan oleh tipologi lahan sub-optimal secara fisika, kimia dan biologi. Iklim pada umumnya tergolong semi ringkai tropis (semi-arid tropic) dengan sifat hujan tidak menentu (erratic rainfall), dan sumberdaya manusia tergolong dalam klaster di bawah garis kemiskinan.  Kegiatan pengabdian terhadap petani lahan tegalan telah dilakukan terhadap salah satu kelompok tanai tegalan di dusun Rambitan-3, desa Rambitan, Kecamatan Pujut, Lombok Tengah. Kegiatan dilaksanakan secara berkala dan telah memasuki tahun ke-3 pada tahun 2019.Kelompok sasaran ditetapkan secara purposive sampling dan kegiatan dilaksanakan dengan metode diskusi kelompok terfokus (Focus Group Discussion, FGD). Eksekusi kegiatan masih pada level demonstrasi terbatas, melalui metode kaji tindak (action research), seperti: bertanam di pekarangan (home gardening), bertenak unggas disertai penetasan dan bertanam kelapa genjah sebagai penguat teras pekarangan.  Hasil kegiatan menujukkan beberapa hal spesifik sebagai berikut: (1) secara kultural kesetaraan gender dalam kelompok sasaran belum terwujud, sehingga anggota FGD harus dipisahkan berdasar jenis kelamin, (2) aktivitas pertanian masih bersifat subsisten (untuk mencukupi kebutuhan dasar pangan semata), dan (3) beraktivitas di lahan sendiri di tegalan adalah prioritas kedua, sedang aktivitas utama adalah sebagai buruh tani di lahan sawah. Kesimpulan  yang dapat dikemukakan adalah: (1) inovasi bidang pertanian bagi petani tegalan harus murah dan secara instan (waktu singkat) menjawab kebutuhan dasar, (2) harus ada dukungan para pihak,  dan Pemeritah Daerah untuk menginisiasi aktivitas dan (3) harus ada perubahan paradigma petani dalam  usahatani lahan tegalan.

Agricultural land in North Lombok is dominated by a typology of sub-optimal land, physically, chemically and biologically. These properties make it vulnerable to degradation. In such land, agroforestry system is highly recommended, where the porang plant can be included as a component. Nowdays, porang is gaining popularity as a commodity with economic value, and is suitable as an intercropping plant. It is easy to grow on almost all types of soil, and is resistant to shade, making it adaptive to agroforestry systems as non-timber under standing plants in community forest systems. It is believed that this will provide multiple benefits economicly and environmentaly, if it accompanied by the principles of soil and water conservation. The role of porang as a conservative agent has been investigated through a scientific approach as the basis for the domistication of porang in agroforestry systems. The results showed that agroforestry with porang could help improve the stability of the soil aggregates as indicated by the soil aggregate stability index 59 which means rather stable. Soil moisture of wilting point in agroforestry system with porang increased from 3.0% (without porang) to 5.4%. In addition, the soil organic matter content increased to 3.94% (quite high) on the system with porang because the stems and leaves of porang plant are quickly weathered. The ground cover is relatively tight, so it can prevent soil erosion. Porang also play a role in increasing water infiltration due to the presence of porang’s roots and tubers. Thus the domistication of porang fulfills the requirements as an agent of soil conservation, as non-timber plant in the agroforestry system, if it is cultivated according to the principles of soil and water conservation on the typology of sub-optimal land in North Lombok.