Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio in Forage Plants in South Kalimantan's Oil Palm-Cattle Integration Area

Abstract

The main cause of climate change is confirmed to originate from greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, land use changes, population growth, and the accumulation of greenhouse gases. This research aims to determine the species of plants, organic C/N content, and to compare N2O emissions in oil palm plantations integrated with cattle farming. The research method used a survey approach in two sampling areas: oil palm plantations integrated with cattle and oil palm plantations without cattle integration. In each location, 5 plots were created, with each plot consisting of 3 subplots as replications from the edge towards the oil palm plantation, resulting in a total of 30 subplots for both locations. Parameters collected included plant species, organic C/N content, and the amount of N2O emissions. The research results showed that there are 5 plant species growing in both integrated and non-integrated oil palm plantation areas: Ageratum conyzoides, Panicum brevifolium , Centotheca longilamina Ohwi, Brachiaria decumbens dan Athyrium filex femina. Integrated and non-integrated land areas significantly affect carbon storage in both leaves and stems. Integrated land has a C/N ratio in leaves of 30.15-40.86%, while in non-integrated areas, it is 27.95-34.15%, and in stems, it ranges from 38.07-55.25% and 32.15-48.46% of total dry biomass. The average N2O gas emissions in non-integrated land are 4.6 N m²/hour, while in integrated oil palm plantations with cattle, it is 5.6 N m²/hour. The difference in N2O values between the two locations is within reasonable limits. In conclusion, oil palm plantations can be integrated with cattle for sustainable agriculture