Standardized Organic Fertilizer Formulations and their Effectiveness in Enhancing the Role of Biological Agents to Increase Disease Resistance and Maize Productivity in Marginal Lands

Abstract

Background: The importance of standardized organic fertilizers with relatively balanced levels of NPK elements, in order to increase the role of organic fertilizers as a source of nutrition for plants which at the same time can improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties and can increase the role of organic fertilizers as a medium for growth and development of biological agents so that they can increase its role as a biopesticide and biofertilizer, thereby simultaneously increasing crop productivity on marginal land. Methods: This research was conducted in the period June-November 2019 at South Konawe Regency Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia and in the Integrated Laboratory of Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kendari Halu Oleo University. Assessing and formulating organic fertilizers by taking into account the composition of the ingredients which include; C/N ratio of the total material, elemental content of NPK, C-Organic content, moisture content and pH, to produce standardized organic fertilizers, with relatively balanced levels of NPK elements. The field research was arranged in a randomized block design consisting of 3 treatments including B0 = Inorganic fertilizer (control); B1 = Organic fertilizer formula A + agens hayati Biofresh; B2 = Organic fertilizer formula B + agens hayati biofresh. Each treatment was repeated 3 times, which in total there were 9 experimental units. Result: The formulation of organic fertilizers by taking into account the composition of the ingredients can produce organic fertilizers of a standard quality, with relatively balanced levels of NPK elements, effectively increasing the ability of biofresh biological agents, so as to increase the disease suppression index by 30.12%, with an increase in productivity of 14.31% of non-standard organic fertilizer treatments. And with the efficiency of using biofresh biological agents of 70.6%.