B I O D I V E R S I T A S ISSN: 1412-033X (printed edition) Volume 10, Number 2, April 2009 ISSN: 2085-4722 (electronic) Pages: 98-103 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d100201  Corresponding address: Jl. Barong Tongkok, Kampus UNMUL G.unung Kelua, Samarinda 75123 Tel: +62-541-749140, 749152. Fax: +62-541-749140 e-mail: medihendra @yahoo.com Cultivation Practices and Knowledge of Local Rice Varieties among Benuaq Farmers in Muara Lawa District West Kutai, East Kalimantan-Indonesia MEDI HENDRA 1,2,♥ , EDI GUHARDJA 2,3 , DEDE SETIADI 2,3 , EKO BAROTO WALUJO 4 , YOHANES PURWANTO 4 1 Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Mulawarman University (UNMUL), Samarinda 75123 2 Post Graduate School, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor 16680 3 Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Bogor 16680 4 Laboratory of Ethnobotany, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong-Bogor 16911 Received: 4 th February 2009. Accepted: 21 st March 2009. ABSTRACT This research aim to study how Benuaq society around Muara Lawa District, manage agriculture system and internal knowledge about rice varieties. This research use ethnobotanical approach: collecting ethnobotanical data of rice varieties and traditional system of swidden cultivation. Data was obtained by using direct participatory technique by interviewing the people (key informants) about their practice and perception. The interviews were unstructured open-ended discussion on knowledge and farming activities including about diversity in rice varieties. Subsequently, quantitative data from questionnaires was combined with depth-interview data from key informants. The Benuaq indigenous systems, practices, and cultivation preferences held by the Benuaq are guarded toward maintaining their rice diversity. The Benuaq systems of upland rice cultivation, site selection for umaq establishment, plant species for fertility indicator, and cultivation of wide ranges of upland rice varieties indicate their sophisticate knowledge in agriculture. Unfortunately there has been degradation in the indigenous knowledge among the young Benuaqs. © 2009 Biodiversitas, Journal of Biological Diversity Key words: Benuaq, ethnobotanical, indigenous, upland rice. INTRODUCTION Benuaq is one of the Dayaks in Borneo, particularly the Indonesian part (i.e. Kalimantan). They settled in the southern tributaries of the great Mahakam River, namely the Bongan, Ohong, Jelau, Kelawit, Tuang, Lawa, Pahu and Nyuwatan (all in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan) as well as in the upper Teweh (Central Kalimantan Province). They are profoundly concentrated in some regions in the West Kutai District, such as Barong Tongkok, Bentian, Bongan, Damai, Muara Lawa, Muara Pahu and Siluq Ngurai. Despite the information that the Benuaq tribe has long been regarded as belonging to the larger Lawangan group (Riwut, 1979). Massing (1981) mentioned that the Benuaq are rarely cited in the literature on the Dayaks of Borneo, thus it has been regarded as the least known tribe. Nevertheless, the Benuaq are the largest Dayak group in the West Kutai district in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and have preserved their tradition and customs (“adat”) more than any other tribes. Seeland and Schmithusen (2002) reported that Benuaq Dayak has combined the shifting cultivation and cultivated forest products as their livelihood base. This proves their deep understanding on their surrounding natural resources. The importance of Borneo in the diversity of rice varieties has been recognized by both anthropologists and agriculturists (Sutlive, 1978; Padoch, 1988; Setyawati, 1997). Freeman (1970) and Padoch (1988) reported that Dayak farmers are able to identify and cultivate various varieties of rice. This finding is in accordance with the results of Watson (1984), Fujisaka (1987) and Damus (1995) in some recent studies that traditional farmers in many places in the world are capable in maintaining the genetic diversity of rice varieties in order to match the local environmental conditions. Unfortunately, such studies were rarely gone below the level of the local communities. Despite gathering information concerning the total number of rice varieties known to the community, such researches (such as by Widjaja and Jessup,