Applying organic fertilizer in cassava (Manihot esculenta) – mungbean (Vigna radiata) intercropped to improve dryland productivity

Abstract

Organic matter content in the dryland farming system tends to decrease rapidlyin most of arid region of Eastern Indonesia. This experiment aimed to test that hypothesis by growing casava and mungbean with and without organic fertilizer (cattle manure) under monoculture and intercropping. The study used a factorial completely randomized block design. The first factor is two cropping systems, namely monoculture and intercropping, the second factor is 2 applications of organic fertilizer (compost), namely 1) No compost and 2) Compost. Each treatment uses 6 replications. The results showed a significant effect of treatment on cassava yield component and productivity, while mungbean growth and yield was similar between treatment. Cassava grown under intercropping system with additional cattle manure was significantly produced the longest tuber (71.40 cm) and the largest number of tubers (6.40 tubers.plant-1). It also contributed to the highest tuber productivity (28.40 t.h-1), followed by yield of casava under intercropping system without compost (26.00 t.h-1), then the casava monoculture system with compost (21.80 t.h-1). The least was the monoculture system without compost (21.70 t.h-1). This experiment proved that additional organic fertilizer under intercropping system could increase the productivity of dryland (LER = 2.13).