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Soil water balance calculation is one of the methods used to estimate the dynamics of soil water content during plant growth. This study aims to describe rainfall conditions and analyze soil water balance as well as determine the growing season and composition of food crop combination patterns based on the available growing season in East Seram Island. This research uses rainfall data for 30 years of observation period 1992-2021 from Geser Meteorological Station (Data analysis with the following stages: (i) rainfall analysis (ii) calculation of average rainfall (iii) determination of rainfall with a 75% chance (iv) calculation of soil water balance using the Thornthwaite and Mather method (v) determination of the growing season and cropping pattern. The results showed that the average rainfall in East Seram was 2,194 mm/year with a water deficit (D) occurring in October and November, then the rainfall had a 75% chance of being exceeded at 1,439 mm/year with a water deficit of 228 mm/year which lasted for eight months, namely August - March. The growing season under normal rainfall conditions was available throughout the year, while under high rainfall conditions, a 75% chance of the growing season was available for five months, namely May and October. The cropping patterns and crop combinations used were monoculture, polyculture, and intercropping with combinations of cassava, maize, sweet potato, groundnut, mung bean, cassava-corn, cassava-peanuts/green beans, maize-peanuts, cassava-corn-peanuts/green beans, cassava-corn-horticultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall variability significantly influences plant productivity; including palm oil. This research aims to describe rainfall variability and its influence on oil palm productivity on Seram Island, Maluku Province. The data collected consists of rainfall, palm oil production data and supporting data. The analytical method used consists of generating rainfall data, analyzing extreme rainfall conditions and regression analysis to see the relationship between rainfall and palm oil productivity. The research results show that the El Nino rainfall anomaly at the research location in the 1992-2021 period occurred 8 times with a frequency of once every 2 - 6 years or an average of once every 3 years. La Nina occurs 7 times with a frequency of 1 - 10 years or an average of once every 4 years. The very extreme El Nino caused a reduction in rainfall at the research location by 888 mm or 40% of normal conditions, whereas the very extreme La Nina event resulted in an increase in rainfall of 1491 mm or 58% of normal conditions. Rainfall variability is very closely related to oil palm productivity with the regression equation Y = 94.05 - 0.1558x + 0.000083x 2 - 10 -8 x 3 and the accuracy level R 2 is 98.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to obtain land characters and qualities data and to determine land suitability for clove and nutmeg and their spatial distribution in Nusalaut Island, Central Maluku Regency. The results showed that the land suitability for clove are marginally suitable class (S3) with the coverage area is 1452.38 ha or 66.51%, and the limiting factors are water availability and nutrient retention (wa, nr) limiting factors and unsuitable class (N) of 731.52 ha or 33.50 %. While the land suitability for nutmeg are moderate suitable (S2) with root media and nutrient retention (rc, nr) limiting factors and the coverage area is 123.75 ha or 5.66%, S2nr of 409.93 ha or 18.77%, slope (S2eh) limiting factor with the coverage area is 918.7 ha or 42.1% and the unsuitable class (N) with the area of 731.52 ha or 33.50 %. The land suitability of the clove and nutmeg is located in the Other Used-Areas (APL) with the area of 2183.63 ha, while total land units in the study area is 2697 ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]