The Growth and Production Response of Braciaria humidicola Grass Using Different Types of Fertilizer on a Post Mine Land Cement PT. Indocement Tunggal Praksasa

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of using different fertilizer on the production of B. humidicola in a critically post-mine land cement. This experiment was done on February until June 2009. The experiment conducted on this particular species of grass used several types of fertilizer. Randomized Block Design was used which involves four treatments with three replications. Respectively the treatments are control which no fertilizer was used (P0); 0,5 kg of manure fertilizer (P1); 5 g of NPK fertilizer and the last treatment are the combination of 0,5 kg manure fertilizer and 5 g NPK fertilizer. Duncan Range Test was used if there was any significant effect in the treatments. The variables that were observed are the growth of primary tiller and secondary tiller, production amount of primary tiller and secondary tiller, spread length production, dry matter production and also nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium absorbent of B. humidicola grass. The result of this experiment showed that the combination use of 0,5 kg of manure fertilizer and 5 g of NPK fertilizer has the highest value of each variables that were observed. On the first harvest, the combination use of 0,5 kg of manure fertilizer and 5 g NPK fertilizer significantly affected higher than the other treatment on the amount of primary tiller and secondary tiller production. This treatment also affected higher on the phosphorus and potassium absorbent of B. humidicola grass but did not significantly affected higher on the amount of the spread length, dry matter production and the nitrogen absorbent. On the second harvest the combination use of 0,5 kg manure fertilizer and 5 g NPK fertilizer significantly affected higher than the other treatment only on the dry matter production, while on the other variables did not significantly affect with other treatments.

Peningkatan alih fungsi lahan dari lahan pertanian menjadi lahan industri merupakan faktor utama penyebab masalah dalam pengembangan hijauan makanan ternak. Hal ini karena semakin menurunnya lahan-lahan subur untuk pengembangan hijauan makanan ternak. Permasalahan ini mengharuskan para petani mencari alternatif penggunaan lahan yang lain. Pemanfaatan lahan kosong seperti lahan pasca tambang semen merupakan salah satu alternatif dalam mengatasi permasalahan keterbatasan lahan.