Quality of Soil and Yield of Food Crops in Ultisols Due to Application of Manure and Source of Phosphate Fertilizer

Abstract

Acid upland soil in Indonesia has a potential for agricultural development but it has constraints low of organic Cand available P as well as the soil physical properties have been degraded. The use of manure and direct applicationphosphate rock (PR) was an alternative to improve land productivity and crop yields. The objective of the study wasto examine the effects of manure and the sources of P on soil physical and chemical properties and yield of foodscrop that was arranged on intensive cropping systems of upland rice + maize -/- cassava- mungbean. The experimentwas carried out at Tamanbogo Station Farm, East Lampung since 2007 until 2009 using randomized completely blockdesign with 3 replications. The treatments were (1) 10 Mg ha-1 manures + 1 Mg ha-1 of RP, (2) without manure + 1 Mgha-1 of PR, (3) 10 Mg ha-1 manures + 100 kg ha-1 SP 36, and (4) without manure + 100 kg ha-1 SP 36. The results showedthat the application of manure along with PR improved soil chemical and physical characteristics. Its improvementaffected the yield of foods crops, hence the profit increased with B/C ratio between 2.88-3.60.

Keywords

• Food crops
• manure
• soil quality
• source of P
• upland ultisols