Maize Growth and Yield characteristics with application of mushroom waste substrate vermicompost in Ultisol
¹Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Faculty of Agriculture and Fisheries, Jl. KH. Ahmad Dahlan, Kembaran, Banyumas, 53182 Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
²Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agroecology, Jl. Dr. Soeparno No.63, Purwokerto Utara, Banyumas, 53122 Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
*Correspondence: agoesmp@gmail.com
Abstract:
Improve maize production can be done by expanding the planting area in Ultisol. The main problems with planting maize in Ultisol are high soil acidity (pH < 4.5), high Al saturation (> 65%), and low P availability (± 1.7 ppm). The objective of this study was to know the effect of the application of mushroom waste substrate vermicompost on the characteristics of maize growth and yield. in Ultisol. Randomized Complete Block Design with the treatments of vermicompost at a dose of 0 t ha-1, 15 t ha-1, 30 t ha-1, and 45 t ha-1 with six replications was tested. The observed variables were Ultisol’s chemical and biological properties, maize growth, and yield. The soil characteristics of the pH, C-organic, P-available, and phosphate solubilizing microbes, and maize growth and yield characters viz. the number of leaves, shoot dry weight, flower emergence, leaf chlorophyll content, the efficiency of P use, the protein content of seeds, number and weight of maize seeds improved with the application of 45 t ha-1 of vermicompost. From the results it could be concluded that applying the vermicompost would enable farmers increase yield of maize in Ultisol soil.
Key words:
maize growth performace, marginal land, organic compost, soil characters