Abstract
Acid soil which contains Al 3+ and Mn 2 is generally unfavorable for crop including the tree legumes . The minerals are toxic to the plants resulted minimalization of growth and crop production. Caliandra calothyrsus, Indigofera zollingeriana , and Gliricidia sepium were tree legumes those are generally used for forage. The aim of this study was to compare their tolerancy to Al 3+ and growth production on acid soil. The plants were grown in ul tisol soil with 4. 57 of pH collected from Palm Oil plantation , Sei-Putih, Medan. The experiment was carried out using completely randomized design (CRD) with kind of plants as the treatment and 12 times replication . The data were analyzed by ANOVA using the SPSS and excel program, followed by LSD test when the data w as significant ly difference . Variables measured were plant morphology, concentration of Al 3+ in the plant tissues , plant height , stem diameter, number of stem branches, root length, plant production, nutrient content , energy and in vitro digestibility. The highest Al 3+ contents in leaves, stem and root were significantly observed in those G . sepium , while the lowest contents w as observed from those of I. zollingeriana . G . sepium was the mo st dwarf plant and its stem diameter was comparable with the one of C . calothyrsus , but was lower than that of I. zollingeriana . The highest number of branches was significantly observed in I. zollingeriana , while the lowest one was at G . sepium . The r oot length of C . calothyrsus was comparable with that of I. zollingeriana , while G . sepium root was the short h e st one . Root nodulation was only formed at I. zollingeriana . The highest biomass production was observed at I. zollingeriana which also had highest protein content and the best digestibility. Data from Al 3 + concentration in tissues of leaves, stems and roots show ed that I. zollingeriana was the most tolerant plant to acid soils. This tolerancy also affect ed higher plant growth, biomass production, nutrient concentration, and digestibility.
Highlights
Large acid dry soil potential in Indonesia is a chance to produce various crop commodities
Al3+ concentration of I. zollingeriana was lower than C. calothyrsus or that crop was tolerant to acid soil
AL3+ effect was seen on root morphology, where nodule forming was only occurred on I. zollingeriana
Summary
Large acid dry soil potential in Indonesia is a chance to produce various crop commodities (food crops, estates, or livestock’s feed crops). Several soils that generally had acid pH in the dry area were Entisols, Inceptisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, and Spodosols, especially for area, which has wet climate with high rainfall. Concentration of high alumunium in the form of Al3+ was one of limiting factors of crops cultivation on the acid (pH ≤5.5) land which inhibited crop’s growth and production (Gergichevich et al 2010). In line with it, Sopandie (2006) said that reactive alumunium (Al3+) was released from soil in the form of AI(OH)2+ and AI(OH)3+ which often become toxic to all agricultural crops, because of the AI ion inhibited root growth quickly in concentration of micromolar. Ryan & Delhaize (2010) said that Al3+ toxicity in acid land (pH ≤5.5) was main factor of stress to the crop, especially to the root tissue of crop that directly contacted with the environtment (Rizonsphere). The alumunium able to inhibit essential nutrient absorption to the crops such as Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Mo, and P (Poschenrieder et al 2008)
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