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Wet rice cultivation in Indonesia Chapter six
it is sliding through the soil on the right depth. He also has a whip (pecut) to make the
kerbaus move in the right direction.
When the first phase of ploughing is finished, the field is ready for the first irrigation
water. Naturally, the farmer and labourers have to inspect if the small dikes or galeungan
are strong enough to hold the water. They also need to check if the sawahs that are laying
above are filled with irrigation water. Generally, the Kasepuhan farmers aim at
approximately five centimetres of water during the second phase of ploughing.
This second phase happens with a plough shaped like a broad fork with nine teeth,
called garu. Again one of the labourers sits or stands on the plough to make it go deep
enough and to steer the kerbaus in the right direction. The labourers use a large knife
(bedog) a pitchfork (garpu) and a spade (pacul) to clean the dikes from weed and spread it
around on the field. Because it is going to decay in the water, it serves as a natural fertiliser.
Farmers do not use manure from kerbaus or goats as a fertilisers because ‘it stinks too
much’. Moreover, Dewi Sri might be insulted when farmers give her manure.
The time that a farmer needs for the two
phases of ploughing depends especially
on the kerbaus. Two kerbaus can work
approximately four times faster than
labourers can. Thus, those farmers who
own kerbaus or can afford to hire them,
certainly have an advantage. During the
field research, lasting from November
2004 until February 2005, the costs for
hiring labour were Rp. 15,000 (€ 1,25) per
person for eight hours of work, including
two meals. To hire two kerbaus a farmer
had to pay Rp. 40,000 (€ 3,40).
Figure 6.1: two kerbaus drag a garu during the ploughing process
6.3.3 Traditional wet rice cultivation – sowing
When the ploughing is finished, the sawah is not ready for the phase of sowing yet. First, the
farmer will level the total surface with a tool called garok. After this, it depends on the sowing
plan of Abah Anom and the leader of the village when the farmer can start sowing and from
which varieties of rice he can choose 40 . These varieties have to be of a traditional origin.
Modern varieties that are crossbred or genetically modified are not to be used. Because
chemical fertilisers and pesticides are not allowed, it is of a crucial importance that farmers
do not use the same variety of rice year after year. Otherwise, the fertility of the soil will
decrease and the possibility of vermin destroying the crop becomes higher. Generally, there
is a period of at least one week in between ploughing and sowing, so that the weed in the
water and soil has the time to decay and serve as natural fertiliser.
If all decisions of the leaders are clear, the farmer calls his family together in order to
carry out a ceremony called tebar 41 . We have been dealing with this ceremony already in
section 3.2.4. It became clear that the main reason for tebar is to get the blessings of rice
goddess Dewi Sri. Farmers reserve a small part of the sawah for this, until the moment of
harvesting. First, the family that owns the sawah prays to Dewi Sri, this is called tumbu.
Then, they burn some incense in a little tray of straw, standing on a stick, called
pungpuhuhnan.
40 Consult appendix 8 for a list of traditional and high-yielding rice varieties.
41 See appendix 6 for an overview of all Kasepuhan ceremonies in relation to wet rice cultivation.
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