Components of integrated crop management and local wisdom of rice paddy crops
Land and water management
Optimal allocation of water resources and agricultural land is critical in ensuring the sustainability of food production
(Chan et al., 2023; Sun et al., 2024). Land utilization provides enormous potential to increase and diversify agricultural production, especially food crops
(Hairani et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2015). Integrated crop management technology encourages modern irrigation systems such as the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method. This method enables water efficiency by controlling wet and dry periods in paddy fields. Water efficiency can produce more crops under alternate wetting and drying irrigation practices
(Giuliana et al., 2024; Mboyerwa et al., 2021). On the other hand, local wisdom still plays an essential role through traditional irrigation based on community cooperation, where water sharing is somewhat based on mutual agreement.
Rice varieties
Integrated Crop Management utilizes high-yielding varieties that are resistant to pests and capable of high productivity to meet the growing demand for food. Superior seeds can increase income (
Van Hung et al., 2024). By choosing quality varieties and good management practices, rice productivity can be improved
(Shinde et al., 2025). Meanwhile, local wisdom retains traditional rice varieties with distinctive flavors and is well-adapted to local environmental conditions. This integration is done by planting superior varieties on most land to achieve maximum yields while leaving some land for local varieties.
Fertilization
In the Integrated Crop Management approach, balanced fertilization is applied based on careful soil analysis, using a combination of chemical and organic fertilizers to optimally meet the nutritional needs of plants. Inadequate fertilizer use is also one of the most significant factors hindering agricultural productivity growth
(Ilham et al., 2023; Thakur, 2024). Local wisdom makes an essential contribution by using natural fertilizers from local materials such as livestock manure, compost and crop residues that are readily available and environmentally friendly. Conventional practices require significant organic matter inputs to increase grain yields by about 25%
(Jayasekara et al., 2022). Balanced fertilization can reduce emissions while increasing productivity
(Sai et al., 2025; Xiong et al., 2023).
Pest and disease control
Integrated pest management uses environmentally friendly pesticides and regular monitoring of pest populations to minimize adverse impacts on the ecosystem. Local wisdom remains relevant through the use of natural pesticides such as neem leaf decoction, tobacco, or other traditional ingredients that are easily accessible to farmers. Improved integrated pest management behavior can be achieved by increasing farmers’ knowledge, local wisdom and motivation
(Jaya et al., 2023).
Harvest and post-harvest
In Integrated Crop Management, modern tools such as combine harvesters are prioritized to speed up the harvest process while reducing yield losses that often occur with manual methods. Meanwhile, local wisdom is maintained through traditional pre-harvest rituals that aim to maintain harmony with nature and show gratitude for the crops. These two approaches are integrated by utilizing modern technology to increase crop productivity while involving the tradition of harvesting together in cooperation, strengthening social relations between farmers.
Comparison of farming costs of integration systems (integrated crop management with local wisdom) and non-integration
Farming costs calculated in this study are the costs farmers incur per 1 ha in one growing season. Total farming costs are obtained from the sum of total fixed costs and variable costs. This study’s analysis of the cost structure shows that the fixed costs of rice farming with integration and non-integration systems are almost the same, as Table 1 shows. A comparison of rice farming costs between the integrated and non-integrated systems showed notable differences in resource allocation and cost management efficiency. Overall, rice farming costs in the integrated system were lower at IDR 5,911,809 per hectare, compared to IDR 6,777,070 per hectare in the non-integrated system, resulting in savings of 12.75%. These savings indicate the economic efficiency of the integration approach in resource management.
With more efficient cost allocation and lower total costs, integrated systems have proven more economical in increasing farmers’ income. Integration approaches also offer additional benefits, such as reducing external inputs such as pesticides and biological agents, which can support environmental sustainability. Traditional farming practices have effectively maintained the presence of micro-organisms that support conservation practices, crop diversity and sustainable agriculture
(Ngongo et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2019).
Comparison of revenue and income of rice paddy with integration and non-integration system
The revenue, income and r/c ratio analysis results can be seen in Table 2. Paddy rice farming has significant differences in economic performance between integrated and non-integrated systems, as shown by the analysis results in Table 2. The integrated system shows superior productivity, cost efficiency and income. With higher production (4,256 kg/ha compared to 3,352 kg/ha), the integrated system was able to generate a revenue of IDR 36,459,191/ha, higher than the non-integrated system (IDR 26,636,128/ha). This result shows that the integrated system can use resources more efficiently and produce greater output. Rice farming provides tangible benefits such as income to farmers
(Nayak et al., 2019). The R/C ratio of 5.7, which is higher than 3.8 for the non-integrated system, shows the superiority of the integrated system. This result shows that the costs incurred for the integrated system yielded more significant revenues, indicating its economic
viability. These results show that implementing integrated systems in wetland rice farming increases productivity and provides financial benefits. Therefore, system integration is a viable strategic option that can be implemented widely.
Differential test of rice paddy income with integration and non-integration system
The calculated F value (3.23) is greater than the F table value (2.53), according to the F test results presented in Table 3. This result indicates a significant difference between the two farming systems because the variance between the two data groups is not homogeneous. With a degree of freedom (dk) of N1-1=20 at an error level of α=0.05, the t-table value is 1.68385. Therefore, the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected. So, there is a statistically significant difference in the income of paddy rice farming in the integration and non-integration systems. These results suggest that the integrated system is a better economic choice. The rejection of the null hypothesis (Ho) indicates that integration helps financial performance
(Fisher et al., 2015).