Open AccessIncreasing oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) production by the application of humic substance and zeolite as carrier
Author(s) -
Suwardi Suwardi,
Denise Furi Pratiwi,
Dyah Tjahyandari Suryaningtyas
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/418/1/012046
Subject(s) - elaeis guineensis , soil water , humic acid , zeolite , environmental science , amendment , cation exchange capacity , soil ph , soil quality , palm oil , agronomy , chemistry , fertilizer , agroforestry , biology , soil science , catalysis , biochemistry , political science , law
Oil palm is considered as the flagship plantation crop in Indonesia in terms of developed area and its contribution to national GDP. It can grow well enough even on marginal lands such as in acid sulfate soils, acid soils, and peat soils given high annual rainfall and good site management, particularly in terms of controlled soil water regimes. However, many oil palm plantations in the country, especially those developed and managed by rural farmers, still suffer from relatively low production yields. This can be attributed to poor soil quality, which are characterized mainly by low pH, CEC, and organic C values. Thus, in order to increase oil palm production, soil amendment practices, such as fertilization, are required. Humic substances are complex organic compounds that can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and stimulate plant growth. However, they are generally applied in the field in small quantities, in liquid form. As such, humic substances in the soil can be leached quickly, hence, a carrying and binding medium is needed to hold them longer and release them back slowly. Zeolite, which is a highly porous and adsorbent material and has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), can serve this function. Thus, this study aimed to increase oil palm production by using humic substance with zeolite as carrier. Twelve treatment combinations, consisting of 4 doses of humic substance (HS): 0 L/ha (H0), 5 L/ha (H1), 10 L/ha (H2), and 15 L/ha (H3); and 3 doses of carrier zeolite: 0 kg of zeolite/L HS (Z0), 10 kg of zeolite/L HS (Z1), and 20 kg of zeolite/L HS (Z2). Each treatment was applied to oil palm trees aged 6 years in Block 26, Compartment 1 of PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VIII in Cimulang, Bogor. The results showed that the application of humic substance could increase gross fresh fruit bunch (FFB) weight. The application of 10 L of humic substance with 20 kg zeolite/L HS (H2Z2) produced FFB that can yield 32 tons/ha/year, or a 30% increment, compared to Control. In summary, the best treatment combination in this study was 10 L/ha HS with 20 kg zeolite carrier for every liter HS.