Pengaruh penggunaan mulsa jagung terhadap sifat fisik dan biologi tanah serta produksi jagung pada tanah latosol Cimanggu Bogor

Abstract

Continuous cropping for food crop can reduce soil quality of agriculture land, and in turn, land productivity particularly when the farmers do not apply adequate soil and water conservation techniques. One of the soil conservation techniques that can maintain soil quality and improve quality of degraded land is the using of crop residues as mulch. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of crop residue mulch on soil physical properties particularly bulk density and porosity; soil biological properties especially the amount of soil macro fauna; and plant growth and total production of maize. This research consisted of field experiments and soil analysis. Field experiments were carried out in Latosol Cimanggu Bogor and soil analysis were conducted at the Laboratory of Physics and Soil and Water Conservation, Department of Soil Science and Land Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University. The study was conducted from August to December 2009. Field experiments were arranged in a completely randomized design with four doses of corn straw mulch treatments, i.e without mulch (M0), 1 ton/ha (M1), 2 tons/ha (M2), and 3 tons/ha (M3). Each treatment was repeated 3 times to make 12 units of experiments. Parameters that were observed in this study consisted of bulk density, porosity, total soil macro fauna, and plant growth and yield of maize. The results of this research showed that corn straw mulch applications up to 3 tons/ha had no significant effect on the soil physical properties particularly porosity, bulk density, available water pore, and soil porosity. However, the applications of corn straw mulch with a minimum dose of 3 tons/ha significantly increased the amount of soil macro fauna particularly ants, worms, and termites. The using of corn straw mulch up to 3 tons/ha had no significant effect on plant growth and maize production, however there was a trend of increasing production with the increasing doses of mulch applications.