Strategy of dryland farm management in improving food security in East Nusa Tenggara; One of the promising opportunities but often to be neglected is the use of arable dryland suitable for food crops production, The potential of available dryland agroecosystems is quite extensive and technically suitable for agriculture. The potential land will be able to produce sufficient food if managed using effective technology and appropriate development strategies. Strategies for utilizing potential dry land are: 1) emelioration measures to improve soil quality by utilizing in-situ local resources 2) increased land productivity and sustainable commodity production of dry land sustainably, and 3) rain harvesting technology, and 4) improvement of economic infrastructure

Biourin merupakan salah satu jenis pupuk organik cair yang kaya mikroba fungsional. Pemanfaatannya dapat meningkatkan produktivitas tanah dan tanaman di lahan kering. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui efektifas dari jenis pupuk organic cair biourin yang diperkaya mikroba dan cara aplikasi terhadap sifat tanah dan hasil bawang merah di lahan kering.  Penelitian dilaksanakan di lahan kering di Desa Noelbaki, Kecamatan Kupang Tengah, Kabupaten Kupang, NTT pada musim kemarau dari bulan April sampai Juli 2021. Percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Petak Terpisah (RPT) dengan dua faktor dan tiga ulangan. Petak utama adalah metode aplikasi biourin (C) yaitu: C1: melalui daun dan C2: melalui akar (penyiraman). Anak petak adalah Jenis biourin yang diperkaya mikroba indigenous dari berbagai sumber (B), yaitu: B0: Biourin (tanpa diperkaya mikroba); B1: Biourin yang diperkaya mikroba dari Kompos  Sabut Kelapa; B2: Biourin yang diperkaya mikroba dari Kompos Daun Gamal; B3: Biourin yang diperkaya mikroba Kompos Jerami Jagung. Varietas bawang merah yang digunakan ialah varietas Local Sabu. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jenis biourin yang diperkaya mikroba dari kompos daun gamal, kompos berangkasan jagung dan kompos sabut kelapa memberikan efek positif terhadap perbaikan sifat tanah dan hasil bawang merah, yaitu terjadi peningkatan hasil sebesar 53,52% dari perlakuan biourin yang tidak diperkaya mikroba. Cara aplikasi melalui akar memperlihatkan efek yang lebih baik terhadap sifat tanah dan hasil bawang merah dibanding dengan metode aplikasi melalui daun.

Research about land productivity and efficiency of integrated farming systems on dryland agroecosystems had been conducted in farmers owned land in Fatukanutu village with land characteristics at a slope of <15% and altitude <500 m above the sea level. This research is secondyear research, which was carried out from January to November 2018. The purposes of this study are to implement an integrated farming system in dryland and lowland agroecosystems, to assess land productivity in an integrated agricultural system model (SPT) and the efficiency of land use on cropping patterns in the SPT model in lowland and dryland agroecosystems. The results showed that the model applied in the field is a banana-based integrated farming system, which is following the local and potential components such as livestock, food crops (maize), vegetables and fodder (lamtoro) with intercropping harvesting system (Tumpangsari and TumpangGilir). Compared to monoculture crops, land productivity in integrated farming systems in dryland banana zone in agroecosystems is more productive. Also, cropping patterns in SPT model are beneficial because the LER value is > 1, there is efficiency in land use on banana-based SPT, with the LER value of banana-corn 1.15, banana-vegetable 1.65 and banana-maize-vegetable 2.80

This study aimed to estimate wherewith the residual effect of the crop rotation pattern with the cover crop lagoon on the dynamics of soil organic carbon and maize yield during the two growing seasons in the Kupang region of Indonesia. The treatments evaluated were: maize rotation pattern with several types of seasonal legume cover crops and how to return the legume biomass. The results showed a very significant increase in soil organic carbon and maize yield. The rotation pattern with legumes P. lunatus, M. pririens and C. juncea had a statistically significant effect on increasing soil organic carbon storage and maize yield during the two growing seasons. These three types of legumes still have a positive effect until the second planting season where there is an increase in soil organic carbon storage (at a depth of 0-30 cm) of 0.75-1.19 % C-organic (82.08 to 84.38 t.ha-1 soil carbon storage) compared to C.chayan and control treatment which decreased soil organic carbon storage was greater. About maize yields, up to PS- 2 still showed relatively stable results, namely only a decrease in maize yield (kg.ha-1) of 3.14% -4.19% compared to C. chayan which decreased yields of 15% and without control rotation ) with a reduction in yield of up to 30% . The method of restoring the cover crop legume biomass with the mulching technique was able to increase soil organic carbon storage by 0.71%, and the yield of dry shelled maize (kg.ha-1) on PS-2 only decreased yield by 2.48% compared to the immersion method which reduced the yield up to 11, 02%. This study found that the rotation pattern does not need to be done every planting season. Still, it is sufficient to do it in intervals of two to three growing seasons. The residual effect can significantly guarantee the maintenance of organic carbon stocks in the soil. With the assurance of soil organic carbon stores coupled with proper management, soil productivity is maintained and sustainable. When soil organic carbon increases, it can benefit maize and other food crops.