Land Suitability for kemenyan cultivation in Sari Laba Jahe Village, Sibiru-biru Sub-district, Deli Serdang District, North Sumatra Province

Abstract

Kemenyan (Styrax spp.) is commonly found in North Sumatra, especially in the Tapanuli and Dairi Regions. This study aimed to determine the suitability class of kemenyan at agroforestry land in Sari Laba Jahe Village, Sibiru-biru Sub-district, Deli Serdang District, North Sumatra Province. This study was conducted from August 2019 to April 2020. Soil survey was conducted in order to collect the characteristics of the land at the study site. Soil sampling was collected based on land units. Soil samples were analyzed in the central laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Land suitability was evaluated based on the matching method between data from laboratory analysis and data from survey in the field with the available land suitability criteria. The results showed that the actual land suitability classes for kemenyan in Sari Laba Jahe Village, were not suitable (N) with erosion hazard (er), and root zone medium (rc) limiting factors which accounted for 62.78%), marginally suitable (S3) with root zone medium (rc) limiting factor which accounted for 8.21%, and moderately suitable (S2) with limiting factors water availability (wa), root zone medium (rc), nutrient retention (nr) limiting factors which accounted for 29.01%. The erosion hazard (eh) limiting factors can be overcome, so that the potential land suitability in Sari Laba Jahe Village can be increased to Moderately suitable (S2) which accounted for 31.99% and marginally suitable (S3) which accounted for 67.98%. Based on the potential land suitability in Sari Laba Jahe Village only 0.03% was not suitable (N) in Sari Laba Jahe Village.