The high cost of seeds has led some farmers to innovate by using the Salibu technique, which is a more practical and economical planting method. Salibu is a rice cultivation technique without seeds. This technique utilizes the leftover rice stalks that are pruned. Thus, farmers do not need to spread seeds or seedlings. During the harvest season, farmers only need to set aside the lower part of the rice plant stem to be used as shoots to replace seeds.
Based on research, leftover rice stalks from the harvest can still produce new plants with almost the same quality as planting rice using seeds. By implementing this technique, farmers can save costs because they can harvest multiple times from a single planting.
The Salibu Rice Cultivation Technique
This seedless rice cultivation technique can be more cost-effective from several perspectives compared to rice cultivation using seedlings. This is because several processes are streamlined, such as seedling sowing, planting, and soil processing, leading to minimal input and maximum output.
Another advantage of the Salibu technique, aside from cost and time savings, is its environmental friendliness, water saving up to 60-70%, labor saving up to 25%, and production cost savings up to 50%.
Actually, cultivating rice using the Salibu technique is quite simple. Its maintenance is almost similar to sowing rice. Here are the steps for cultivating rice without seeds that you can apply:
- Fertilization: Fertilization is crucial in improving soil fertility and plant productivity. Before cutting the rice stalks, apply enough fertilizer to keep the root structure of the rice and its base fertile. You can use organic or manure fertilizers. Sufficient and appropriate fertilization can enhance shoot quality.
- Harvesting: There is a slight difference in harvesting between the Salibu technique and seedling sowing. In the Salibu technique, harvesting is done earlier, about one to ten days earlier than usual. This is to keep the rice plant stems green and fresh because if harvesting is done at the usual time, the rice plant stems may turn yellow prematurely.
- Cutting: After the fertilizer has penetrated into the soil, the next step is to reduce the water, so the land becomes moist but not flooded. Then the process of cutting the trees is carried out. These rice bases will later become shoots or future rice plants. The required height of the base to become a shoot is about 3.5 cm.
- Irrigation: After the shoots start to grow to a height of approximately 5 cm, the next step is to prepare water. This is so that the soil has enough water to be absorbed by the rice roots. Do not let the land dry out because excessively dry soil can cause the rice straw to turn yellow, and if not addressed promptly, it can result in plant death.
- Drainage: After the land is flooded with water, the next process is to release the water channels. This is to maintain soil stability or soil moisture. Excessive waterlogging can cause rice roots to rot. The suitable soil condition for planting rice is not too dry but also not too much waterlogged.
- Maintenance: Lastly, maintain this rice cultivation like planting rice with seedlings. For example, regulating water, controlling pests, weeding, until harvest time.
The Salibu technique, or seedless rice cultivation, can be done approximately 3 to 5 times. The most felt impact by farmers in applying the Salibu technique is the increase in income. This is because costs are minimized, and production is maximized.