Changes of Soil Nutrient Content as Influenced by Water Hyacinth Compost and Inorganic Fertilizers on Shallot

Abstract

One of the problems with Inceptisols is their low level of soil fertility. The addition of one or more available nutrients can help the soil become more fertile and enhance quality of plants. The goal of this experiment was to find out the optimum ratio of water hyacinth compost, N, P, K, and S fertilizers in relation to variations in the soil’s nutrient content, quality and yield of shallot Batu Ijo Variety. This research was conducted from February to August 2020, at the Laboratory of Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition Field Experiments, Universitas Padjadjaran. The research design used in this study was a randomized block design (RBD) with seven treatments, which were: one control treatment, two recommended dosage treatments of N, P, K, S fertilizers, and four combination treatments of water hyacinth compost and N, P, K, and S fertilizers. The findings demonstrated that the treatment of 1 dose recommendation of compost plus ¾ dose recommendation of N, P, K, and S was able to increase soil nutrient content and quantity (number of shallot bulbs). The use of this experiment is as information to optimize the use of water hyacinth compost in efforts to increase the productivity of soil and shallot plants.