Combination of organic soil amendments and weed control to optimize the growth and yield of peanuts in sandy soils in coastal areas

Abstract

Sandy soils in coastal areas can be managed for peanut cultivation by minimizing the limiting factors. The study aimed to use organic soil amendments combined with weed control methods to optimize peanuts' growth and yield in sandy land. The research was conducted in the coastal area of Bengkulu, Indonesia, from September 2019 to January 2020. Two experimental factors were arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replications. The first was soil amendment consisted of cow manure (CM), the compost of empty fruit bunches of oil palm (EFB), and without soil amendment as a control, and the second was weed control methods consisted of preemergence application of oxyfluorfen, postemergence application of propaquizafop, and hand-weeding. The results found the most effective weed control in the EFB compost was hand-weeding, but in CM application was propaquizafop. The efficacy of propaquizafop was not significantly different from hand-weeding to control the sedges and grassy weeds. Plant growth improved, and the yield of peanuts increased by the CM and compost of EFB. Optimal growth and yield of peanuts were observed in the CM treatment, namely as the stover weight and pods yield of 28.74 g/plant and 5.82 tons/ha, respectively. With hand-weeding control, the peanut stover and pods yield was 28.79 g/plant and 5.78 tons/ha, respectively. The research provided novel information regarding the potential of the coastal land for peanut cultivation using local organic materials as soil amendments.