Soil Chemical Properties and Soybean Yield Due to Application of Biochar and Compost of Plant Waste
Main Article Content
Abstract
The importance to return organic matter to the soil has been widely recognized, especially to agricultural lands that are low in organic matter and nutrients contents that will decrease the productivity of food crops. This study aimed to study the effect of biochar (rice husk and corn cob biochar) and straw compost on soil chemical properties and yield of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. The experiments were done in the laboratory and the field experiment at February–July 2015. The first study was laboratory test using a randomized block design with three replicates. Soil samples were ground and sieved to obtain the less than 4 mm fraction for the incubation experiment. A five kg soil was mixtured with amandement treatments (A: control; B: Rice husk biochar 10 Mg ha-1 ; C: corn cob 10 Mg ha-1; D: straw compost 10 Mg ha-1; and E. Rice husk biochar 10 Mg ha-1 + straw compost 10 Mg ha-1 ; F. corn cob biochar 10 Mg ha-1 + straw compost 10 Mg ha-1) were filled into plastic pots. The treatments were incubated for 1 and 2 months. Soil samples measured were pH, Organic-C, Total-N, P2O5 (Bray-1), K2O (Morgan), Na, Ca, Mg, S, and CEC. The field experiment was conducted at Sukaraja Nuban Village, Batanghari Nuban sub district, East Lampung Regency. The treatments (similar too laboratory experiment) were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates. Plot size was 10 m × 20 m, and soybean as crop indicators. The parameters observed were plant heigh, number of branches , number of pods per plant , number of seeds per plant, grain weight, and stover. The results of laboratory experiment showed that application of biochar and compost improve soil fertility due to the increase in soil pH and nutrient availability for plant especially P2O5 and K2O available. The treatment of a rice husk biochar and compost mixture was better than single application to improve soil fertility and soybean yield. Apllication mixture husk biochar 10 Mg ha-1and straw compost 10 Mg ha-1 increased grain weight about 41% compost to control.
Keywords: Biochar, compost, crop waste, soil chemical properties
[How to Cite: Junita B, Dermiyati and H Sudarsono. 2016. Soil Chemical Properties and Soybean Yield Due to Application Biochar and Compost of Plant Waste. J Trop Soils 21: 1-7. Doi: 10.5400/jts.2015.21.1.1]
Downloads
Article Details
License for Authors
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
License for Regular Users
Other regular users who want to cite, distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon author’s works, even for commercial purposes, should acknowledge the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.