Search

This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of several types of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) derived from plant waste and the dose of P fertilizer on the growth and yield of upland rice on degraded acid soil. The treatments consisted of two factors. The first factor (A) was several types of LOF consisting of A1 (control), A2 (LOF containing isolates of P-solubilizing bacteria), A3 (LOF-banana waste), and A4 (A2+A3). The second factor (B) was fertilizer doses consisting of B1 (50% of the recommended dose of P fertilizer), B2 (75% of the recommended dose of P fertilizer), and B3 (100% of the recommended dose of P fertilizer). The treatment combinations were arranged in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The research results showed that applying either LOF-banana waste or the mixture of LOF-banana waste and LOF-containing isolates of P-solubilizing bacteria improved plant height, the number of tillers, and N and P uptake by the plant. The rice grain yields among the treatments were not significantly different, but the highest rice grain yield (139.8 g/pot) was obtained at the treatment of the mixture of LOF-P isolate + LOF-banana waste (A2+A3 treatments). The 75% of the recommended dose of P fertilizer was not significantly different from 100% P fertilizer with LOF on growth and yield upland rice and nutrient uptake by the plant.

Indonesia has an abundant amount of basalt rocks resources, including in East Lampung Regency of Lampung Province. This basalt has not been used optimally and only be used as a foundation. The use of basalt as soil fertilizer also known as the stone meal. This study focused on the effect of using basalt dust on the growth and development of organic fertilizer application for the cassava plant. This study is to support the local government policies that declared Lampung as a national development centre of cassava, with a production rate of 30.8% of the national production of cassava. Basalt powder was characterized using test petrograph and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for a description of microscopic and chemical composition. The test results were used to determine the chemical composition of rock classification using the TAS diagram. The experiments of applying fertilizer on cassava crops in the demonstration plots 8 treatment x 3 repetitions were conducted by adding the percentage by weight of the basalt towards organic fertilizer between 0% (control 1), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and without treatment (control 2). The results indicated that basalt from East Lampung is classified as olivine Tholeite basalt which is rich in CaO, Mg and Na2O + K2O. The growth rate of cassava plants which are affected by basalt powder presentation is characterized by a value which is higher than the value of CGR control, and recommended to not exceed 10% of the weight of basalt fertilizer.

Returning and addition of organic material to soil is a key to protecting the soil, plants, and the environment. A study aimed to elucidate the effect of residual biomass application on some indicators of soil physical properties, abundance of earthworms and soil microbial activities was conducted in Kebun Percobaan (KP) Natar, BPTP Lampung from February to July 2017. The treatments were three types of crops biomass residues, i.e., maize stover, rice straw, and soybean stover (fresh or compost). The dosage rates were 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 t/ha. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates. Upland rice (Inpago 9 variety) was planted after two weeks application of biomass residues treatments. The results showed that application of crops biomass residues improved bulkdensity and significantly increased soil water content at the high dose of biomass residues (7.5 or 10 t/ha). The amount and weight of earthworms with added of compost biomass was significantly correlated with soil water content (r values 0.491 and 0.376, respectively). The dose of biomass residues had a significant effect on soil respiration that the highest soil respiration was obtained in maize compost biomass treatment (at 12 weeks observation) was 31.7 and rice straw compost (at 8 weeks observation) which was 30.19 mg/hour/m2 C-CO2.