Application of Nanoparticle of Merapi Volcanic Ash and Phosphate-Solubilizing Fungi in Improving Inceptisols Characteristics

Abstract

Nanoparticles of Merapi volcanic ash and phosphate-solubilizing fungi were expected to function as ameliorants in improving some Inceptisols characteristics. Nanoparticles of volcanic ash were used in accelerating and streamlining the chemical reaction in the soil. Phosphate-solubilizing fungi were expected to assist the process of several soil reactions. The aim of the research was to improve some chemical characteristics like available P, cation exchange capacity, Fe, and Zn content of Inceptisols in Cilembu Village, Sumedang District, West Java Province, Indonesia. The research used a complete randomized experimental design in factorial with two factors. The first factor was the nanoparticle of Merapi volcanic ash consisted of four doses on soil weight percentage (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%). The second factor was phosphate-solubilizing fungi consisted of two doses (without and 10 g.kg-1). The volcanic ash was collected from Mt. Merapi, Central Java, after the eruption of November 2010 and kept in the Laboratory of Soil Physics and Conservation in Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran. The nanoparticle of volcanic ash was processed at Nanotechnology and Graphene Research Centre, Universitas Padjadjaran. The phosphate-solubilizing fungi were isolated from Inceptisols in Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Universitas Padjadjaran. These treatments were combined and mixed with soils and incubated for three months. Every one month during those three months of the incubation period, some soils were taken to be analyzed of available P, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available Fe, and available Zn. The result showed that there was no interaction between the nanoparticle of Merapi volcanic ash and phosphate-solubilizing fungi to parameters investigated except the CEC after two months of incubation. There was an effect of nanoparticle volcanic ash and phosphate-solubilizing fungi individually to available Fe dan Zn. There was a trend of increasing available P, and CEC and decreasing available Fe and Zn by the longer period of incubation.