ACTIVITIES 1

Damara Bali Foundation has leased 1 ha land which is located at the seaside in Batu Belah ,Karangasem Bali and is a dry and barren land. Generally we cannot expect any plantation in such land because of not having enough nutrients and water deficiency due to less capacity for holding water and nutrients.
Followings are main causes of a dry and barren soil:

•  Weather condition and drought
• Soil’s properties with low porosity
• Lack of soil organic matter
• Lack of mineral and soil essential matter such as amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K),
• Lack of air cavities in soil
• The absence of (micro)-organism

The fertility of a barren land can be beaten by using high technology sensing innovations and it has been applied in some rigions in Indonesia. We want to use this techology system to improve and enhance a barren land into a fertile land and the method is applicable to the farmers. Generally, practical methods of increasing barren soils fertility are broadly grouped as mechanical and biological methods.

The followings are explanation of methods used to increase soils fertility:

Mechanical Method

The mechanical method used to fertile soils is focused on land management techniques which aims at improving soils structure. These are listed as under:

1. Construct Water Well, and Watering Land
   Dry out soils is caused by water deficiency due to lack of precipitation and therefore, it is necessary to construct well as water source to supply water and applying it to the land. Water can be applied using sprinkler to make the water spread evenly. There is also other system can be used to supply water on land known as drip irrigation system.
2. Ploughing Field
   The primary purpose of ploughing is turning over the upper layer of the soil, especially outermost layer of soil (topsoil 0-20 cm), bringing fresh nutrients to the surface. Traditional ploughing drawn by hoeing or working animals such as cattle but in modern times may be drawn by tractors. As the plough is drawn through the soil, it become more workable or friable. It has enough pore/ air space and crumbly texture (uncompacted soil) which allow soil organisms such as worms and living micro-organisms to live in the soil and for roots plant to obtain oxygen easily.
3. Soils Strengthening
   Barren soil often has bad structure and tends to experience soil erosion. Terracing (called terraces: leveleled areas constructed at right angels to the slope to reduce soil erotion) can be designed to support soils to keep the soil structure in place for irrigation.
4. Increasing Soils Porosity
   Porosity (Soil porosity refers to the amount of pore, or space between soil particles, which consists of various amounts of water and air) depends on both soil texture and structure. A numerous pores / high porosity soil contain with largest particles (sand) less than the other particles which are much smaller / tiny (silt and clay). High porosity helps to retain ground water and nutrients. Soils with lower porosity, may therefore be added with clay particles before ploughing it.

Biological Method

The biological method used to deal with a dry and arid land has meaning of manipulation of plants, soil organisms, and to use products derived from living things (organisms) to be applied to soils. These are listed as under:

1. Addition of Organic Matter and Fertilizer
   The main factor soils are characterized as barren soils is inadequate amount of organic matter. Organic matter has high ion-exchange capacity to bind ground water tightly. Greater organic matter content in soils lead to the more water can be stored. Inadequate amount of organic matter will cause drought.
   The addition of organic matter is differ from synthetic/ chemical fertilizer because organic matter can not be directly absorbed by plants and are readily available in the ground. The organic matter will enable the microorganisms to degrade organic matter itself. Organic matter is a slow release fertiliser so that is rich in nutrients tibahkan with fertilizers such as compost
2. Wood Mulch and Sawdust
   These materials contain about 3% nitrogen and are sufficient used to enhance nitrogen content in soils efficiently compare to animal matter. Sawdust (wood ash produced at sawmills) can be used to adjust pH that is to increase pH level of acidic soil which has low pH.
3. Organic Matter derived from Fish
   This organic matter is derived from fish and is quickly nourished the soil, make it more fertile and to be easier to grow plants.
4. Animal Manure
   Animal manure derives from livestocks wastes. After the process of maturation and Anaerobic Decomposition (fermentation), this fertilizer is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The animal manure is easily absorbed by soils and plants and consist of active microbial that improve soils structure (such as bio-fertilizers).
5. Compost
   Compost is an organic matter result from aerobic fermentation of green materials (leaves, reeds) and kitchen waste. Compost is well-used on soils because it contains proper C / N ratio to enrich soils.
6. Cover Cropping/ Green Manure
   When the poor arid soils is improved into good friable soils, plants such as reeds and high disease resistance plants are hoarded back into the soil. When the plants die off, the plant will be an organic material that fertilize the crops.
7. Crop Rotations
   Crop rotations is already becoming commond method used. Crop rotations periodically can help improve soil physical properties, reduce soil barren and runoff, and increase soil organic matter especially nitrogen.
8. Reintegrating Livestock
   Livestocks raised integrated to an agricultural farming will benefit to soil fertility because these animal wastes oe animal manure can be used as an organic fertilizer to increase soil fertility

ACTIVITIES 2

We have started to distribute Damara Bali’s crops production- comes from our land located in Bedugul Tabanan Bali- to a restaurant in Seminyak Kuta. We also establish networking and empower landowner farmers to copy our farming method. We also provide these farmers with loan to start their farming and help them with direct distribution giving higher price to the famer by cutting out the middle-man.

ACTIVITIES 3

Damara Bali creates opportunity for a sustainable income generation for farmers without owning land by providing land, to train about organic farming method and help them out to distribute their agricultural products / crop production in order to help them helping people to help themselves.