established. In fact, K
+ is essential to support the growth and production of Palmae
crops such as oil palm, leading to its application at high doses.
Due to their limitations, some strategies have been developed for growing plants
in peat areas, such as aerial root formation to absorb oxygen from the air and mound
root formation for both oxygen absorption from the air and nutrient absorption from
the litter on the mounds. It is concluded that nutrient and oxygen applications are
important factors under high water table conditions. To maximize root functions, a
newly developed culture system called AeroHydro culture can be applied that
maintains a high GWL and provides nutrients and oxygen from the land surface.
According to Wijedasa et al. 2017, the search for more responsible tropical
peatland agriculture techniques includes promising recent initiatives to develop
methods for crop cultivation under wet peatland conditions (Giesen 2015; Dommain
et al. 2016; Mizuno et al. 2016).
7.5.2 AeroHydro Culture Media Application in Practice
in Siak District and Central Kalimantan
7.5.2.1 Study Sites
Indonesia has an extensive peatland area that spreads across several provinces.
Forty-three percent of the peatland area is on Sumatra Island, 32% is on Kalimantan
Island, and 25% is on Papua Island (BBSDLP 2011). The 2011 data used are based
on a map scale of 1: 250,000, while the 2019 data are more detailed, with a map scale
of 1: 50,000. The map was updated from the 2011 data with much additional data,
and studies were carried out for 8 years. The total area of peatland in Indonesia is
13,430,517 ha in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Papua and a small amount in South Sulawesi. Sumatra has 5,850,561 ha of peatland; Kalimantan has 4,543,361 ha; Sulawesi
has 24,783 ha; and Papua has 3,011,811 ha (BBSDLP 2019). The 2011 data did not
include the Sulawesi region. Peatlands have a variety of benefits that need to be
balanced ecologically and economically to reach their natural potential. Knowledge
and capacity support as well as the involvement and participation of various parties
with a role in peat restoration are needed to ensure that efforts to manage peatland
ecosystems take place in accordance with scientific and sustainability principles. To
strengthen the scientific basis for managing peatland and to increase the human
resource capacity of these efforts, partnerships with local institutions are needed.
The two islands that have the most peatland area are Riau and Kalimantan. The
distribution of peatland varies between Sumatra and Kalimantan. In Sumatra, the
largest peatland areas are mainly in Riau (60.1%) and South Sumatra (19.6%).
Meanwhile, in Kalimantan, the largest peatland areas are mainly in Central Kalimantan (55.7%) and West Kalimantan (35.2%) (BBSDLP 2011). According to
Miettinen and Liew (2010), the remaining peatland forest in Kalimantan is larger
than that in Sumatra. In Sumatra, approximately half of the peatland area has been
developed for agriculture, either for smallholder agriculture (24%) or industrial
270
R. I. Wetadewi et al.
+ is essential to support the growth and production of Palmae
crops such as oil palm, leading to its application at high doses.
Due to their limitations, some strategies have been developed for growing plants
in peat areas, such as aerial root formation to absorb oxygen from the air and mound
root formation for both oxygen absorption from the air and nutrient absorption from
the litter on the mounds. It is concluded that nutrient and oxygen applications are
important factors under high water table conditions. To maximize root functions, a
newly developed culture system called AeroHydro culture can be applied that
maintains a high GWL and provides nutrients and oxygen from the land surface.
According to Wijedasa et al. 2017, the search for more responsible tropical
peatland agriculture techniques includes promising recent initiatives to develop
methods for crop cultivation under wet peatland conditions (Giesen 2015; Dommain
et al. 2016; Mizuno et al. 2016).
7.5.2 AeroHydro Culture Media Application in Practice
in Siak District and Central Kalimantan
7.5.2.1 Study Sites
Indonesia has an extensive peatland area that spreads across several provinces.
Forty-three percent of the peatland area is on Sumatra Island, 32% is on Kalimantan
Island, and 25% is on Papua Island (BBSDLP 2011). The 2011 data used are based
on a map scale of 1: 250,000, while the 2019 data are more detailed, with a map scale
of 1: 50,000. The map was updated from the 2011 data with much additional data,
and studies were carried out for 8 years. The total area of peatland in Indonesia is
13,430,517 ha in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Papua and a small amount in South Sulawesi. Sumatra has 5,850,561 ha of peatland; Kalimantan has 4,543,361 ha; Sulawesi
has 24,783 ha; and Papua has 3,011,811 ha (BBSDLP 2019). The 2011 data did not
include the Sulawesi region. Peatlands have a variety of benefits that need to be
balanced ecologically and economically to reach their natural potential. Knowledge
and capacity support as well as the involvement and participation of various parties
with a role in peat restoration are needed to ensure that efforts to manage peatland
ecosystems take place in accordance with scientific and sustainability principles. To
strengthen the scientific basis for managing peatland and to increase the human
resource capacity of these efforts, partnerships with local institutions are needed.
The two islands that have the most peatland area are Riau and Kalimantan. The
distribution of peatland varies between Sumatra and Kalimantan. In Sumatra, the
largest peatland areas are mainly in Riau (60.1%) and South Sumatra (19.6%).
Meanwhile, in Kalimantan, the largest peatland areas are mainly in Central Kalimantan (55.7%) and West Kalimantan (35.2%) (BBSDLP 2011). According to
Miettinen and Liew (2010), the remaining peatland forest in Kalimantan is larger
than that in Sumatra. In Sumatra, approximately half of the peatland area has been
developed for agriculture, either for smallholder agriculture (24%) or industrial
270
R. I. Wetadewi et al.