5 Types of Palawija Plants: A Substitute for Millions of Benefits

In the world of agriculture, there are several main commodities. For example, food, horticulture, to annual crops. Of course, food plants are numerous and often the center of attention because of their important presence in supporting human life.

In the food crops group, there are many plants, one of which is palawija. This type of plant is generally planted when the dry season arrives. We often recognize corn and cassava as secondary crops. Actually, there are many types of this palawija plant, Grameds.

Why is Palawija Necessary?

As a staple food, we know rice which will eventually become rice. Rice itself is a plant that needs a lot of water to grow well. However, during the dry season, these plants will become a heavy burden in irrigation. This is because it needs a lot of water to grow.

In order to outsmart this, secondary crops are used to replace rice. Often, farmers perform crop rotation (the activity of growing different crops in turns on the same soil) between rice and various types of secondary crops in this dry season.

Palawija plants do not really need large amounts of water. Thus, irrigation in the land can be more efficient.

The Sanskrit word for palawija is "phaladwija". This plant is literally interpreted as a second plant. Based on this meaning, palawija is the second crop after/next to rice.

Initially, the term palawija developed among farmers on the island of Java, this term was used to refer to types of agricultural crops (food) other than rice.

This one plant is the key to promoting food diversification in Indonesia, so that food security is maintained. This is because various types of land can be planted with secondary crops, such as ex-forestry land or even uncultivated land. This is because secondary crops do not require a lot of water. Planting it can also increase food production.

Not infrequently, farmers choose palawija as their main commodity when their main commodity prices decline, for example, as experienced by sugarcane farmers in Central Java. Indeed, palawija has various alternative functions.

Types of Palawija

Palawija has many different types. Here are some types of palawija plants that we often encounter:

1. Corn

One type of palawija is corn. Besides being very popular, planting corn can be done anywhere, including at home. It can grow in soils with different characteristics. Therefore, if you are interested in planting it, Grameds can try planting corn seeds starting from the yard when entering the dry season.

Don't forget to keep watering the corn plant even though it can survive the heat. Also add fertilizer regularly so that our corn grows well and does not dry out.

Regarding the benefits, research says that eating corn instead of white rice can reduce the risk of heart disease, Grameds.

2. Taro

As a tuber plant, taro contains various vitamins and minerals, making it a very useful commodity to be planted and consumed.

Included in one of the types of secondary crops that are easy to grow, Grameds only needs to prepare taro seeds that already have buds and plant them in the yard without covering the buds with soil.

3. Long Beans

Do you like long beans? The slightly crunchy texture is not the only advantage of long beans. Widely used in various types of culinary in Indonesia, long beans can also be an additional source of food for families.

Moreover, this type of plant is also easily found in the market. If you want to plant your own, we only need an empty page that does not interfere with other planting land. When planting and waiting for the results, don't forget that long beans need to get enough sunlight for their best quality.

4. Oyong

Oyong plant is very useful for lowering blood sugar levels and is very good for consumption by diabetics. This vegetable can also be grown in pots because it does not require a large area to grow well.

This type of plant can be an option for Grameds who just want to try growing secondary crops at home.

5. Chayote

As one of the crops that can be fully utilized, chayote is certainly a very profitable type. For example, the fruit and leaves of this plant can be an additional source of food by processing. Meanwhile, the content in it is very healthy, especially for people with hypertension.