Judul: Arahan dan strategi pengembangan kawasan perdesaan dengan pendekatan agropolitan di Kabupaten Blitar
Abstrak: Kabupaten Blitar merupakan salah satu kabupaten yang terletak di Provinsi Jawa Timur dengan wilayah administrasi meliputi 22 kecamatan, 220 desa, dan 28 kelurahan. Melihat kondisi tersebut maka dapat diartikan bahwa mayoritas kawasan di wilayah Kabupaten Blitar adalah kawasan perdesaan. Belum optimalnya pembangunan di tingkat perdesaan menjadikan sebagian besar masyarakat lebih memilih untuk bermigrasi ke kota yang lebih besar atau bahkan ke luar negeri. Menurut Rustiardi, et al. (2005), fenomena migrasi adalah bentuk respon dari masyarakat karena adanya perbedaan ekspektasi dalam meningkatkan kesejahteraan dirinya. Dengan kata lain, migrasi desa-kota akan terus berlangsung sepanjang ada kesenjangan antara desa-kota. Menurut data podes 2008, jumlah penduduk Kabupaten Blitar yang berprofesi sebagai Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (TKI) ke luar negeri mencapai 28 430 jiwa. Salah satu cara dalam menanggulangi permasalahan kesenjangan antara desa-kota adalah dengan dilakukan kajian model pengembangan wilayah dengan pendekatan agropolitan. Agropolitan menjadi relevan dengan wilayah perdesaan karena pada umumnya sektor pertanian dan pengelolaan sumberdaya alam memang menjadi mata pencaharian utama dari sebagian besar masyarakat perdesaan. Untuk mengembangkan agropolitan diperlukan kajian terkait aspek ekonomi, aspek sosial, aspek wilayah, serta aspek kebijakan daerah. Selanjutnya dari semua kajian tersebut disusun strategi pengembangannya. Harapannya dengan memperhatikan kajian tersebut dapat memberikan hasil pembangunan yang berimbang serta memperhatikan karakteristik wilayah. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah: (1) mengidentifikasi hierarki wilayah dalam mendukung pengembangan agropolitan di Kabupaten Blitar; (2) mengidentifikasi tipologi wilayah masing-masing kecamatan beserta komoditas unggulan yang dapat dikembangkan dalam mendukung pengembangan agropolitan Kabupaten Blitar; (3) mengkaji arahan lokasi pusat pengembangan masing-masing cluster; (4) merumuskan arahan dan strategi pengembangan kawasan perdesaan dengan pendekatan agropolitan di Kabupaten Blitar.
Keyword: typology of sub-districts, prime agriculture commodities, center of development, development strategy

Judul: Direction and strategy of rural area development using agropolitan approach in Blitar regency
Abstrak: One of the ways to solve the problem between the urban and rural gaps was applying the assessment model of regional development by using agropolitan approach. This approach became relevant to rural areas because agriculture sector and natural resource management had become the main livelihood of most rural communities. The aims of this study were: 1). to identify the typology of subdistricts in Blitar regency; 2). to analyze the prime agriculture commodities; 3). to determine the regional development center; 4). to formulate the direction and regional development strategy. The data analysis used in this study were Cluster Analysis, LQ and Shift Share, P-Median and A’WOT. The results showed that the typology of sub-districts in Blitar regency could be divided in three clusters e.g.: Cluster 1 with the development centre in Sanankulon sub-district was the paddy rice producing areas, Cluster 2 with the development centre in Wlingi sub-district was the plantation commodities areas and Cluster 3 with the development centre in Panggungrejo sub-district was the dry land farming areas. The direction and strategy development of those three clusters were increasing the productivity, cooperating with private sectors, training and disseminating, and supporting the farmers.
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Judul: Mud Crab’s (Scylla serrata Forskal 1775) Response to Different Decaying Level of Gold Snail (Pomacea canaliculata Lamarck 1822) Bait.
Abstrak: Mud crab is well known as omnivorous-vigorous-voracious-opportunistic-scavenger. These intertidal animals applies mainly chemoreception in their predatory behaviour. It has been commonly assumed that non fresh gold snail bait is better than fresh bait in stimulating the mud crab. This research's aim is to analyze mud crab response to different decaying level of gold snail bait. Their response were observed as time required to touch the bait and pattern and direction of the mud crab in approaching the baits. The different decaying level of gold snail baits were shown on Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVBN) as 16.3 mg/100g (0 day); 534.1 mg/100g (3 days); and 887.4 mg/100g (6 days). The research was conducted from July 2009 until February 2011. The TVBN test for gold snail baits were conducted at Laboratory of BBPPHP Jakarta. The experiment was conducted in Pemalang. The result showed that the average period of mud crabs to touch the baits were 52.14 minutes; 61.57 minutes and 52.57 minutes. Anova test concluded no sufficient evidence of significant effect of TVBN content of gold snail bait on mud crab’s feeding behaviour. Movement pattern B, i.e. left and right deviation followed by straight forward movement to the bait, was commonly exhibited by the crabs. Consequences of time period required by the mud crab to approach the bait on fishing operation is discussed.
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