Abstract
Loss of soil organic matter can be caused by erosion triggered by soil compaction and high rainfall. The aims of the study were to determine (1) the loss of soil organic matter, lignocellulose, and soil microbial population due to erosion and (2) the contribution of organic matter from oil palm fronds. In the current study, the erosion plots were built on the accessible inter-row (gawangan hidup) and inaccessible inter-row (gawangan mati) of oil palm plantations located at the slope of 6-10% and >10%. Soil organic matter, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents and total soil microbial populations were measured in the sediments collected from the erosion plots. The results showed that the loss of organic matter was higher in the accessible inter-row than that in the inaccessible inter-row. The addition of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose from oil palm fronds into the soil are 2.06 Mg ha-1 yr-1, 1.13 Mg ha-1 yr-1 and 1.02 Mg ha-1 yr-1, respectively. Total bacterial population in the sediments taken from the accessible inter-row was higher than that from the inaccessible inter-row, while the total fungal population in the sediments from the inaccessible inter-row was higher than that from the accessible inter-row.
Highlights
Indonesia is the largest oil palm producer in the world with the potency of double production by 2030 (Gilbert 2012)
The results showed that the amount of sediment carried downstream was higher in the accessible inter-row (7.00 Mg ha-1 yr-1) than that in the inaccessible inter-row (1.32 Mg ha-1 yr-1) (Figure 1)
The amount of erosion measured in the accessible inter-row is 7.00 Mg ha-1 yr-1, which is higher than that in the inaccessible inter-row (i.e. 1.32 Mg ha-1 yr-1)
Summary
Indonesia is the largest oil palm producer in the world with the potency of double production by 2030 (Gilbert 2012). The oil palm production of Indonesia in 2015 reached 31,284,300 tons with the. J Trop Soils, Vol 22, No 3, 2017: 175-181 ISSN 0852-257X amount of planted area of 11,300,370 ha. Jambi province is one of the areas of oil palm suppliers in Indonesia with the production amounted to 947,048 tons and the planted area of 730,514 ha in 2015 (Ditjen Perkebunan 2015). Oil palm is usually cultivated in high rainfall areas with an average annual rainfall of 2,339 mm (Wigena et al 2009). High rainfall can cause the loss of soil organic matter through erosion, which further affects the productivity of oil palm.
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