The Role of Land Management on Potato Crop Production in the Geothermal Area of Kepakisan Village, Batur District, Banjarnegara Regency

Land management plays a crucial role in increasing agricultural production, particularly in geothermal areas with unique environmental characteristics. This study aimed to identify land management variables that affect potato production and to explore the correlation between land management and potato production in the geothermal area of Kepakisan Village, Batur District, Banjarnegara Regency. A quantitative analysis with the Cobb-Douglas production function approach using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method was adopted in this study. The production variables were land area, seeds, manure, phonska, SP-36, NPK, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and mulch. Land management data was obtained through interviews and observations of potato farmers around the Wellpad 29 geothermal well. This study proved that the variables of seeds and manure had a positive and significant effect on potato production, while land area and mulch had a significant negative effect. Several other variables, such as the use of Phonska fertilizer, SP-36, NPK, and pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides), did not significantly impact potato production. A gamma value of 0.99 indicates that 99 of the differences in production yields between farmers were due to inefficiencies in land management and production inputs, rather than random factors such as weather or natural disasters. So, potato production may be increased if farmers implement more optimal land management, such as selecting superior seeds, using appropriate fertilizers, and implementing more efficient cultivation techniques. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.