Abstract
High rainfall intensity is major factor governing leaching process, where leaching is often the most important process of N loss from the field and lead to agricultural environmental pollution. In order to measure the movement of mineral-N in soil profile, a field research had been conducted in two sites of center vegetable farming area with six farmer cooperators in Central Java, Indonesia. Regular soil sampling was done from Improve Practice (IP) and Farmer Practice (FP) treatment for three planting seasons during 2007. Almost all treatments FP applied higher rate of N fertilizer compare to IP, but it was not reflected in N profile. Comparison of predicted and measured mineral N content was simulated using Burns α model, then the closeness of the estimation and measured calculated using Coefficient of Residual Mass (CRM) calculation as an indicator with 0 as ideal value. Out of 9 measurements of IP and FP treatment, eight and seven measurements had negative CRM representinga slight overestimation. The NO3-N loss estimated using the Burns α model for IP and FP was in average of 67% for IP and 71% for FP of total N fertilizer added or 67% for IP and 76% for FP of total-N surplus, respectively. The calculation of potential nitrate concentration (PNC) at 1 m soil depth at the end of the third season showed a high concentration with significant different of IP and FP having mean value of 59.8 and 82.5 mg N L-1. From the gathered data it was obvious that over N fertilization had negative effect to agricultural environment.
Highlights
In Indonesia, corn is the second most important food crop after rice
The highest soil available-P was measured in the plots with P2B1 treatment (75% inorganic fertilizer and 25% Organonitrophos + Biochar), with the increase of available P more the 700% of the initial amount
The increase of exchangeable-K that was close to 100% of the initial amount was observed in the plots with P4B1 treatment (25% chemical fertilizers and 75% Organonitrofos + Biochar)
Summary
One of the causes of low corn production in Lampung Province is due to the type of soil, which is dominated by Ultisols that has undergone further weathering The characteristics of this soil are poor in nutrient content and mineral deposits such as P, Ca, Mg, Na, and K, high levels of Al, low cation exchange capacity, and sensitive to erosion (Prasetyo and Suriadikarta 2006). The study of Gani (2009) indicated that biochar applications much more effectively improve the retention of nutrients to plants than any other organic materials, such as compost or manure. Application of rice husk biochar combined with organonitrophos and inorganic fertilizers are expected to improve the nature of physical, chemical, and biological soil properties, increase the absorption of nutrients by plants, as well as probably increase the production of corn. This research was conducted in the second growing season of sweet corn, which aimed to study the influence of the combination of organonitrophos and inorganic fertilizer, biochar and the interaction between a combination of fertilizer and biochar on soil respiration and SMBC during the growth of sweet corn
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