Beneficial Effect of Local Resources to Improve Food Crop Production in Tidal Swamp of Indonesia
Abstract
Soil found in tidal swamp, Indonesia is dominated by acid sulfate soil. This soil is very acidic resulting in infertile soil for plant growth. This soil is also found in large distribution in South Sumatra, Indonesia with low food crop production. This acidic soil is shown in low content of nutrient and organic matter causing farmers should supply fertilizer in large quantity to support plant growth. Due to increasing price of inorganic fertilizers, farmers are difficulty to purchase the conventional fertilizer. To overcome this problem, it can be introduced some local organic resources such as agricultural wastes to supply nutrient for plant growth or applying for indigenous microorganism to increase nutrient problem. To that respect, this paper will discuss about the organic local resources to improve food crop growth such rice and corn planted in acid sulfate soil. The organic materials analysed used were composted rice straw, cow bone powder, cattle slurry, cow blood powder, ash rice straw and additional anorganic materials used like natural rock phosphate and zeolite. Highest content of N, P and K elements released from organic materials were found in cow blood powder with value of 6.51% N, 1.69% P and 0.125% K respectively followed by cow slurry and humic acid substances of composted rice straw. Furthermore, zeolite contained K, Ca and Mg amounting to 1.28% K, 3.39 % Ca and 0.85% Mg, whereas rock phosphate has Ca content amounting to 20.15% and Mg 2.68%. These materials both organic and anorganic substances were prepared for raw material as a solid organic fertilizer. The composition of solid organic fertilized combined with mineral fertilizers consisted of 45% Humic Acid (HA) + 30% Conventional Fertilizer (CF = 4N:2P:1K) + 25% Natural Material (NM) with a dosage of 750 ton/ha provided the best growth of paddy rice with highest yield of 6.12 ton/ha for Ciherang variety. Meanwhile liquid fertilizer with composition of gliricidia leaves, bamboo shoots, banana weevil, maja fruit, bananas and coconuts water with the rate of 10 l /ha yielding 5.92 ton rice/ha. Moreover, application of 1000 ml POME combined with 10% zeolite produced 5.05 ton/ha corn.
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Introduction
Indonesia has more 22 milion ha of tidal swamp, from which about 9.53 million ha acid potential soils, 6.71 million ha acid sulfate soils, 5.89 million ha peatland and 0.44 million ha salin soils. About 4.19 million ha of acid potential soils have been reclaimed for agriculture and transmigration destination and the rest of 5.34 million ha is still be used as agricultural development (Tim Sintesis Kebijakan, 2008). This tidal swamp is usually used for cultivation of paddy soil because in this condition pyrite will be stable in anaerobic condition (Hairani et al., 2005). The tidal swamp area is characterized by poor chemical properties and deep water level. The poor chemical properties include low soil pH and high in Fe and Al concentration. Combination of high rainfall and effect tidal movement make this area have excessive water in a certain period in the year (Purnomo et al., 2006), specially in area which has not been reclaimed.
Generally this tidal swamp in Indonesia is used as destination of transmigratin program of Indonesian Government that is directed to Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua, from the people who are come from Java Island who have no experience to occupy in tidal condition. Beside, the problem of soil fertility for plant growth, the situation of these soils in tidal swamp are commonly bad in infrastructure and no economic institution to get daily needs for the people lived in these areas and the availability of fresh water. People are difficult to get their daily need. However, now palm oil plantation is developed on this tidal soil and people can work in the palm oil company, thus they will get income for their life, because they can’t expect the income derived from food crop production.
Conclusion
Local resources derived from agricultural wastes have potential to be used for improvement soil fertility and plant growth in acid sulfate soil. Application of solid organic fertilizer and liquid fertilizer can improve food crop growth such as rice and corn planted in unfertile soil of tidal swamp. This potential of local resources is very useful for farmer to replace inorganic fertilizer with high price which is not affordable by the farmers. The main beneficial effect of organic fertilizer applied to farming system can be maintaining soil quality and soil health, thus food crop produced is very safe for animal and human consumed that crops.
