Institutionalization of integrated pest management in the food estate development area, Sungai Mandau Subdistrict, Siak Regency, Riau

The food estate program aims to enhance national food production, regional development, food security, and the welfare of farmers. Sungai Mandau, a peatland area in Siak Regency, was opened in 2010 as a food estate for rice cultivation to meet the rice demand in Riau Province. However, peatland development for agriculture faces challenges such as low soil fertility, acidic soil pH, and nutrient deficiencies. This research aims to study the agronomic factors, land suitability, pest management, and agricultural institutions in the context of food estate development in Sungai Mandau. This study starts from August 2022 to April 2023. The method was in-depth interviews with fifty farmers to capture the condition of the Sungai Mandau food estate. Additionally, field observations were conducted on land, soil conditions, pests and diseases. The land condition of the Sungai Mandau food estate falls into suitability class S3 (the lowest suitability) for rice cultivation. Farmers' pest management practices are far from the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) concept. The cultivation practices do not fully support IPM and are not in line with the land conditions. The lack of farmer knowledge is attributed to the ineffective roles of field agricultural extension officer (FAEO) and agriculture technopark (ATP), who should play a significant and close role with the farmers. Information dissemination at the cooperative and farmer group levels has not been effective for a long time. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a role in institutionalizing IPM, and this institutionalization can occur when all institutions and stakeholders actively participate.