Pioneering Agriculture Bioenergy: Geospatial Analysis and Soil Quality Evaluation of Abandoned Lands of Tidal Swamp

Abandoned lands basically can be utilized for various useful purposes. This research, a very beginning step of a major research that has been implementing, was conducted to observe the potency of abandoned lands in Barito Kuala (Batola) Regency South Kalimantan Province Indonesia in order to pioneering agriculture bioenergy. Through maps overlaying and data and field observation, abandoned tidal swamplands were identified. To observe the soil quality, soil at the surfaces of 0-15 cm to 0-20 cm was sampled and analyzed in laboratory. The results showed that among 19 districts in the Batola Regency, there were 5 districts have the largest uncultivated tidal swamplands, those were Kuripan (72.5 %), Tamban (5.8 %), Cerbon (5 %), Tabukan (3.5 %), and Bakumpai (2.4 %) with estimated whole area of 6.986 ha. The soil quality indicators (soil quality is not publishing yet) showed that the soil quality of 5 districts is considered low. Soil reaction was very acid (pH < 4), cation exchange capacity (CEC) was medium to high (13.35 ? 39.500 g kg-1), total organic carbon (TOC) was 0.33 - 8.12 %, whilst the dissolved iron, Fe++ (ppm) was around (45.56 ? 937 ppm). The tidal swamp plants were dominated by Nephrolepis bisserata (Sw.) Schott (ferns), Stenochlaena palustris Bedd (fern shrimp), Melaleuca cajuputi (galam wood), which spread across whole districts in the Regency. Other plants were Mimosa invisa Mar. was only found in Kuripan, whilst Imperata cylindrical was found in Cerbon, Bakumpai, and Tabukan. The local energy crops found were oil palm, corn, sugar palm, cassava, sago, seed sorghum (corn millet), hanjeli, sweet potato, canna, arrowroot, and dahlia tubers. It is important to find water plants that has characteristic of potential for bioenergy that suitable in Batola.