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Developing an alternative method for productive farming on saline soils is necessary because remediating the soils is not feasible on-farm. A foliar application of liquid-silicate rock fertilizer (LSRF) was proposed in response to this need, and its effectiveness was evaluated in a greenhouse. The specific aim of the research was to identify the effects of LSRF on the growth and yield components of soybeans grown on salinized soils. The experiment employed a split plot in a completely randomized design, with the main plot consisting of soil salinity levels (EC), i.e., 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 dS. m-1 and the sub-plot was the concentration of applied LSRF, i.e., 0, 1, 2, and 3 %, in triplicates. Results reveal an increase in soil EC to 2.5 dS. m-1 slowed down the growth rate and reduced the yield of soybeans by about 20 %. In contrast, applying LSRF at concentrations ranging from 1 to 3% improved soybean growth and yield components while reducing the severity of soil salinity’s effects on the plant. Foliar application of LSRF could be an effective method of reducing the stresses caused by saline environments in soybeans. How to Cite: Joko Priyono, Akhmad Zubaidi, 2023. "Foliar Application of Liquid-Silicate Rock Fertilizer Counteracts the Suppressing Effects of Saline Soils on Soybeans: A Glasshouse Assessment." Journal of Agriculture and Crops, vol. 9, pp. 250-256.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi daya hasil dari 10 genotip tanaman sorgum Nasional dan Lokal guna mendapatkan genotip tanaman sorgum yang memiliki daya hasil yang tinggi di lahan kering Lombok Utara. Percobaan ini telah dilakukan pada bulan Juni 2021-September 2021 di Dusun Papak, Desa Genggelang, Kecamatan Gangga, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, NTB. Metode yang digunakan dalam percobaan ini adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan satu faktor tunggal yaitu genotip sorgum dengan 10 perlakuan, dalam 3 kali ulangan. Data hasil pengamatan dianalisis dengan Analisis Keragaman (Analisis of variance) dan Beda Nyata Jujur pada taraf nyata 5% untuk mengetahui pengaruh antar perlakuan. Hasil pengamatan diperoleh Karakter pertumbuhan sorgum berbeda-beda pada setiap varietas yang diuji. Hasil ANOVA dan Uji lanjut karakter yang menunjukkan beda nyata terdapat pada tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun, panjang daun, lebar daun, umur berbunga, diameter batang, bobot berangkasan kering, panjang malai, bobot biji per malai, jumlah biji per malai, bobot 1000 biji, dan hasil, tetapi jumlah daun dan panjang daun tidak menunjukkan beda nyata. Varietas sorgum yang menunjukkan hasil tertinggi adalah berturut-turut varietas Nasional Numbu (8,22 ton/ha), Bioguma (7,49 ton/ha), Super Agritan (6,3 ton) dan varitas Lokal Gando Bura (6,7 ton/ha) sedangkan hasil terendah didapatkan pada varietas Lokal Lombok Timur (2,57 ton/ha). Nilai heritabilitas dan koefisien keragaman genetik yang memiliki nilai tertinggi terhadap karakter yang diamati terdapat tinggi tanaman, bobot malai, panjang malai, bobot biji, dan hasil ton/ha.

Mengolah sumber bahan pupuk alternatif seperti kotoran ternak dan limbah pertanian merupakan suatu hal yang harus dilakukan untuk mengantisipasi dampak negatif fenomena kelangkaan pupuk buatan. Oleh sebab itu, telah dilaksanakan penyuluhan yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan keterampilan petani dalam membuat pupuk organik dari bahan baku limbah ternak dan tanaman yang tersedia berlimpah di sekitar petani. Kegiatan dilaksanakan dengan metode tindak partisipatif selama 6 bulan, melalui beberapa tahap yaitu identifikasi masalah, penentuan kelompok sasaran, pelaksanaan program dan pendampingan, monitoring dan evaluasi. Seluruh kegiatan berlangsung tertib, aman dan lancar. Pengetahuan dan keterampilan petani meningkat, terbukti dari tingginya antusiasme mereka memproduksi pupuk organik dan mengaplikasikannya pada beberapa jenis tanaman. Aplikasi pupuk organik 25 ton ha-1 pada cabe rawit, jagung dan kacang tanah memberikan keuntungan lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan menanam kacang panjang dan bawang merah. Kesuburan kimiawi, fisik dan biologis tanah tetap stabil, sehingga hasil jagung, kacang tanah dan cabe rawit yang ditanam pada petak dengan aplikasi pupuk organik 25 ton ha-1 tidak berbeda nyata dengan hasil pada petak yang dipupuk NPK 250 kg ha-1.

Permasalahan budidaya bawang merah saat sekarang adalah, tingginya intensitas serangan hama, infeksi penyakit embun upas dan perubahan iklim terutama curah hujan yang fluktuatif. Keterbatasan akses akibat pandemi Covid-19, menambah penyebab produktivitas usahatani bawang merah di wilayah sasaran menurun drastis. Karena itu telah dilakukan pengabdian kepada masyarakat dengan metode tindak partisipatif melalui pelatihan dan pendampingan secara langsung di lapang. Tujuan yang ingin dicapai adalah, terjadi transfer teknologi tepat guna dalam usaha produksi bawang merah. Pengetahuan dan keterampilan petani tentang agribisnis dan pengendalian organisme pengganggu tanaman secara terpadu meningkat. Hasil evaluasi aktivitas kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa petani sasaran sangat antusias mengikuti kegiatan pelatihan dan pendampingan. Teknologi tepat guna yang diintroduksikan menyebabkan pertumbuhan bawang lebih baik, intensitas serangan hama dan infeksi penyakit menurun, waktu panen normal sehingga memberikan hasil bawang merah dan keuntungan yang lebih banyak dibandingkan dengan hasil budidaya manual. Keuntungan rata-rata yang diperoleh dalam dua kali musim tanam sebanyak Rp 100.840.000,- ha-1 dengan BC-ratio 2,76-29,0. Sementara pengusahaan secara manual hanya memeberikan keuntungan rata-rata sebanyak Rp 44.110.000,- ha-1 dengan BC-ratio 1,66-1,75. Secara agronomis keuntungan yang diperoleh adalah pemeliharaan tanaman lebih mudah, efisien pengairan, pemupukan dan penggunaan pestisida. Aplikasi pupuk organik secara kontinyu dapat menjaga kesuburan tanah berkelanjutan.

Previous studies reported that intercropping rice with legume crops under aerobic systems increased growth and yield of rice compared with monocropped rice. This study aimed to examine the effects of rice cultivation techniques and patterns of rows on growth and yield of red rice with special objective to examine if intercropping red rice with soybean relay-planted between double or triple rows of rice on raised-beds under aerobic irrigation system can produce higher yield than the conventional one. The experiment was conducted in Narmada (West Lombok, Indonesia), arranged according to Split Plot design with two treatment factors, i.e. rice row patterns as the main plots (P1= double, P2= triple rows) and techniques of rice cultivation (Tc= conventional rice, T0= irrigated aerobic rice system (ARS) without intercropping; T1= relay-planting soybean 1 week, T2= 2 weeks, T3= 3 weeks after seeding the pre-germinated red rice seeds). Results indicated that between the two treatment factors, techniques of growing rice resulted in significant effects on more variables compared with the patterns of rice rows, but there were significant interaction effects on leaf number per clump at anthesis and grain yield per clump. Based on the main effects, tiller number, filled panicle number and grain yield per clump and harvest index were significantly higher on red rice plants grown in irrigated aerobic systems intercropped with soybean compared with those in aerobic monocropped or conventional systems, with the highest grain yield average of 53.76 g/clump in T3, 29.04 g/clump in T0 and only 17.45 g/clump in Tc treatment, and based on the interaction effects, the highest average of grain yield was on red rice plants in the T3 treatment under triple-row pattern (57.58 g/clump) and the lowest was on conventional plot (Tc) under double-row pattern (16.53 g/clump).

Permasalahan utama yang dihadapi petani bawang merah di wilayah kawasan lereng Gunung Malang, Desa Taman Ayu, Kecamatan Gerung, Kabupaten Lombok Barat adalah semakin rendahnya produktivitas tanah akibat kurangnya pemanfaatan pupuk organik, mahalnya pengadaan umbi bibit bawang, dan masih rendahnya kemampuan kewirausahaan petani. Tujuan dari pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarkaat ini adalah untuk meningkatkan produktifitas para petani di Desa Taman Ayu dalam memproduksi bawang merah. Metode kegiatan adalah pelatihan dan kaji tindak, berupa pembuatan demplot dan pendampingan petani dalam kegiatan upaya peningkatan produktivitas bawang merah dengan aplikasi pupuk organik, pengadaan umbi bibit bawang merah melalui seleksi berulang sederhana dan pendampingan pengolahan limbah kandang ternak dan limbah pertanian menjadi pupuk organik. Berdasarkan hasil evaluasi seluruh kegiatan, masukan teknologi organik yang didemplotkan memberikan hasil bawang merah dengan keuntungan yang lebih tinggi, yang mencapai Rp 53.560.000,- s/d Rp 63.360.000,- pada musim tanam ke-I dan mencapai Rp 79.364.000,- s/d 91.369.000,- pada musim tanam ke-II, dengan BC-ratio mencapai 1,86-2,23, dibandingkan dengan pertanaman non-demplot. Selain dapat memberikan nilai tambah secara ekonomi, aplikasi pupuk organik sangat menguntungkan secara agronomis karena dapat menjaga kesuburan tanah dalam jangka panjang secara berkelanjutan

Sorghum has the potential to support diversification efforts and food security. Sorghum production needs to be increased through the selection of varieties and appropriate cropping systems. Intercropping system is expected to be able to support government programs in strengthening national food security through increasing land-use efficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth and yield of three varieties of sorghum intercropped with peanuts and to determine the varieties of sorghum that gave the highest yield in the intercropping system with groundnuts. This experiment was carried out in Sandik village, Batu Layar, West Lombok from December 2019 to March 2020. The design used was a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD), with the first factor being intercropping sorghum-groundnut and sorghum monocropping, while the second factor was sorghum varieties, namely Numbu, Super 1, and Bioguma. Each treatment was repeated 3 times. The results showed that sorghum intercropped with groundnuts had better growth and yields than sorghum is grown in monocropping. The Numbu variety gave the best yields both in monocropping and intercropping systems, while Super 1 and Bioguma showed a significant increase in yields when grown in intercropping compared to monocropping. Super 1 and Bioguma varieties had a positive response to the intercropping system, with a significant increase in dry matter weight in Super 1 by 52.84% compared to monocropping. Likewise, a significant response was also shown by Numbu variety in the intercropping system, with a 47.66% increase in the dry matter weight of the plant when compared to monocropping.

Wheat plants can grow and produce well on the island of Lombok, ranging from highlands to lowlands around 400 m above sea level, and have opportunities for further development. This adaptation effort needs to be followed by development of cultivation technology, including proper irrigation. Irrigation is a fundamental factor in achieving maximum yields in a crop land. Wheat crop does not require a large amount of irrigation as rice plants, but it is not yet known which growth periods are critical to the water requirements for wheat plants grown on Lombok Island. This study aims to determine the effect of water stress at different growth phases of wheat on the growth and yield of wheat plants. This research was conducted using the Experimental Method in a greenhouse, with 9 water stress treatments at different phases. The treatment of water stress at different period of plant development does not show a different effect on plant growth and development. However, it significantly reduces yield and yield components. The critical period of water requirements for wheat plants occurs when the plants reach the generative phase; plants experience pressure in grain production, especially when water stress occurs in the phases of heading and flowering (anthesis). Stress in the booting and milk-development phases also experiences reduction on grain production, even at the lower levels.

In tropical regions high temperature occurs throughout wheat growth cycle and is a major factor influencing growth and yield in this area. The aim of this work is to describe the responses to continuously-high temperatures on growth, photosynthesis and yield of wheat, under controlled conditions. Nias and Dewata (Indonesian wheat varieties) and Axe and Gladius (Australian varieties) were tested in growth room experiment with temperature and photoperiod chosen to simulate conditions on Lombok Island, at lowland (32/23°C) and highland (28/20°C) sites. The third temperature (25/15°C) was selected to represent temperature in a more temperate wheat-producing area. High temperature reduced yield and dry matter accumulation which was associated with a reduction in photosynthetic rate and stomata conductance and an increase in respiration rate. The reduction in photosynthetic rate at high temperature was not only due to lower stomatal conductance but also non-stomatal effects as mesophyll conductance and quantum yield were lower. Genetic variability in response to heat stress was evident with the Indonesian varieties being more tolerant to high temperatures than Australian varieties. Nias and Dewata produced higher yield and biomass and maintaining higher rates of photosynthesis. Maintaining high photosynthetic rate and high stomata conductance, are important characters in adapting wheat into tropical environment such as Lombok Island.

High temperatures are a common feature of the environment of tropical regions such as Lombok Island and although the effect can be alleviated by altitude, heat stress will be an important limitation to the productivity of wheat in this environment. The objectives of the experiment were to observe the responses of water use (WU), water use efficiency (WUE) and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) to high temperatures on growth and yield of wheat under controlled conditions. In this experiment plants were grown under growth chambers at temperatures to simulate low and high elevation locations on Lombok Island. Water use, water use efficiency, WSC and yield of 4 wheat genotypes (2 Australian and 2 Indonesian varieties) grown at 3 temperatures (32°/23°C, 28°/20°C, and 25°/15°C day/night) were compared. Variation in water use, water use efficiency, and the concentration of water soluble carbohydrate was found. Indonesian wheat varieties, Nias and Dewata produced higher yield and biomass and maintaining higher rates of water use and remobilisation of water soluble carbohydrate from vegetative tissues to grain. The accumulation of water soluble carbohydrates was an important adaptive characteristic that was strongly associated with grain weight and grains per spikelet and maintained better yield.

The aim of the experiment was to examine how wheat responded to an extended period of high temperatures under controlled conditions to supplement field studies with these varieties on Lombok Island. Two Indonesian wheat varieties (Nias and Dewata) and two Australian varieties (Axe and Gladius) were examined in growth room experiments at 3 different temperature regimes 32/23°C, 28/20°C and 25/15°C day/night with 12 h daylight. Temperature and photoperiod were selected to simulate conditions on Lombok Island, at lowland (32/23°C) and highland (28/20°C) sites. A third temperature (25/15°C) was selected to represent the temperature in a more temperate wheat producing area. The rate of plant development increases with the rise of the temperatures up to an optimum temperature and slower after further increases. Despite being exposed to high temperatures from the establishment, the effect of high temperature was more severe during the reproductive stage as seen by the fact that yield was more affected than dry matter accumulation and yield was most strongly related to grain number. Genetic variability in response to heat stress was evident with the Indonesian varieties being more tolerant to high temperatures than Australian varieties. Nias and Dewataproduced higher yield and biomass.

Wheat is a temperate crop; therefore, effort is needed in adapting it to tropical areas. Lombok Island is suggested to be a potential wheat growing area. To investigate the feasibility of wheat production on Lombok and the adaptation of wheat to the current cropping systems, field experiments were carried out at six sowing times in 2010 and three sowing times in 2011 at three different sites up to 1000 meters above sea level (m asl) to represent low, medium and high elevation areas. Eight Australian and two Indonesian wheat varieties were selected to represent a range in maturity types. Six sowing dates in 2010 were arranged two weeks apart, from 19 April to 27 June, and three sowing time in 2011 were from 20 May to 19 June. Plant development was rapid at this continuously high temperature environment with flowering occurring 40-70 days after sowing (DAS). Wheat productivity was influenced by elevation and sowing date, at lowland, yields were about 1 t ha-1 or less, whereas at 500 m asl and above ranged from 2-3 t ha-1. Mid-season varieties were higher yielding than earlier or later flowering varieties. The optimum sowing time was from mid-May to early-June.

Summary. In South Australia, durum wheat yields more than bread wheat under well-watered and fertile conditions, but over much of the state’s cereal belt the yields of durum wheat, relative to bread wheat, are low. Three experiments were conducted over 3 years at 2 sites to compare the growth and yield of bread and durum wheat and to investigate some of the reasons for the differences in the relative yields of the 2 cereals. Durum wheat yielded less than bread wheat when annual rainfall was less than about 450 mm or when the site mean yield for bread wheat was less than 250 g/m2. Compared with bread wheat, durum wheat had poorer early vigour, which was associated with fewer tillers/m2, and produced fewer kernels/m2. Under favourable grain filling conditions, durum wheat produced larger kernels than bread wheat but its kernel weight was more variable across sites and seasons and consequently, the relative yields of the 2 cereals depended largely on kernel weight. For example, in a wet year, durum wheat yielded 20% more than bread wheat, despite producing 16% fewer kernels/m2, because of its larger kernels (52 v. 36 mg). In 2 drier years, kernel weights of durum and bread wheat were similar (durum and bread wheat mean kernel weights: 40 v. 37 mg; 30 v. 33 mg) and so durum was unable to overcome the limitation of fewer kernels/m2 and its yields were similar to or less than bread wheat. Root length densities of durum and bread wheat below 30 cm were low. Durum wheat had an equivalent or lower root length density than bread wheat and lower length per gram of root dry matter, indicating less finely divided roots. This suggests that durum wheat may sometimes be less able than bread wheat to utilise moisture and nutrient reserves in the subsoil because of a smaller root system. This is an undesirable characteristic for a crop that appears to be more reliant than bread wheat on producing large kernels for high yields. Efforts to improve the yield of durum wheat, either through genetic improvement or by agronomic means, should focus on reducing the levels of stress during the post anthesis period so that limitations to kernel growth are minimised. Improving the early vigour of the crop, having cultivars of the appropriate maturity and with adequate levels of resistance to root disease, and improving root growth and function in the subsoil are likely to be desirable characteristics.

Summary. An important limitation to the production of durum wheat in South Australia is its poor adaptation to the alkaline, sodic soils of the cereal belt, which often results in nutrient imbalances in the crop. A field experiment was conducted at Palmer, South Australia, to measure the nutrient uptake and distribution between grain and straw of 3 bread wheat cultivars and 9 cultivars and breeding lines of durum wheat. The purpose of the work was to characterise the patterns of nutrient uptake and to examine whether there were major, consistent differences between bread wheat and durum wheat. Rainfall during the growing season was below average and the crops suffered from drought stress after anthesis. Plants were marginally deficient or deficient in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn), and boron (B) concentrations were high. Compared with bread wheat, durum wheat had a very much higher concentration of sodium (Na), higher concentrations of calcium (Ca) and sulfur (S), but lower concentrations of potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu). Total amounts of P, Zn and Na in the shoot continued to increase throughout the growing season with significant increases occurring during grain filling, whereas there was little increase in the amount of N, K, B and Mn during grain filling. The maximum rate of nutrient uptake occurred before the time of maximum crop growth rate, and was in the order K (10.1 weeks after sowing), N (10.6), P (11.3), Mn (12.0), Zn (12.5) and B (14.6); maximum growth rate occurred at 14.8 weeks. There was no consistent difference between bread and durum wheat in the partitioning of nutrients to the grain. The importance of N and Zn uptake to the growth of the durum wheat genotypes was shown by significant correlations between maximum uptake rates of these nutrients and maximum crop growth rate, with the strongest correlation being with Zn. Growth rate was not correlated with uptake rates of other nutrients. A number of genotypes of durum wheat had maximum rates of Zn and Mn accumulation up to twice those of the current commercial genotypes. Some of these lines have yielded well at Zn- and Mn-deficient sites which indicates that the micronutrient efficiency of durum can be improved. Late in the season the experiment showed signs of infection by crown rot (Fusarium graminearum Schw. Group 1). Durum wheat showed more severe symptoms than bread wheat and the number of white heads in durum wheat was inversely correlated with the concentration of Zn in the shoot during the pre-anthesis period.