Pengaruh Kombinasi Kotoran Sapi, Pupuk Daun Silika, dan Pestisida terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Jagung (Zea mays) serta sifat Kimia Latosol, Dramaga

Abstract

Maize is one of the agricultural crops that has similiar carbohydrate content with rice. The addition of foliar silica fertilizer is potential to prevent soil and water stress, pest attack, and to increase disease resistence as well as the growth and production of maize. This study was aimed to determine the effect of cow-dung manure, NPK fertilizer, foliar silica fertilizer and pesticides combinations on maize (Zea mays) growth and production and also on soil chemical properties of Latosol, Dramaga. The research was designed with randomized block design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. Treatment combinations was consisted of T0 (control), T1 (NPK), T2 (NPK + Foliar silica fertilizer), T3 (NPK + Pesticides), T4 (NPK + Foliar silica fertilizer + ½ Pesticides), T5 (Cow-dung manure + ½ NPK), T6 (Cow-dung manure + NPK + ½ Foliar silica fertilizer), T7 (Cow-dung manure + ½ NPK + pesticides), and T8 (Cow-dung manure + ½ NPK + Foliar silica fertilizers + ½ Pesticides). The results showed that generally cow-dung manure + ½ NPK (T5-T8) treatments indicated higher effect in promoting growth, nutrients uptake and corn cob production compared to treatments of NPK (T1-T4). The combination of NPK fertilizer, cowdung manure, foliar silica fertilizer and pesticides did not show significant effect statistically on soil total N, available P, and available Si. The exchangable potassium of soil tended to be higher in NPK combination (T1-T4) than cow-dung manure + ½ NPK combination (T5-T8). However, soil C-organic content in cowdung manure + ½ NPK combination (T5-T8) was higher than that in the NPK combination (T1-T4).