IPB Researchers Utilize Chicken Manure to Improve Nutrient Availability and soil pH
Soil acidity (soil pH), low soil fertility (Ca Mg and P deficiencies), high interchangeable acidity, aluminum saturation (Al) and allowable concentrations of monomeric inorganic aluminum are considered major chemical constraints that limit plant growth on tropical soils. Low soil pH values and high Al content affect phosphorus retention (P) which further decreases the availability of P in the soil. In addition, the high content of ions of aluminum in the soil can inhibit root growth rapidly. As a result soil nutrient and water uptake disrupted.
The team of researchers of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources, Faculty of Agriculture of Bogor Agricultural University, (FAPERTA IPB) namely, Lilik Tri Indriyati, Budi Nugroho, and Fahrizal Hazra implemented the research program as an effort to overcome the acid soil problems.
There are a lot of typical acid soils in Indonesia. The consolidated acid soil type in Gajrug contains a very high Alumunium, its low pH means the soil has a very low fertility rate. Cation-exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of how many cations can be retained on soil particle surfaces. Negative charges on the surfaces of soil particles bind positively-charged atoms or molecules (cations), but allow these to exchange with other cations in the surrounding soil water. This is one of the ways that solid materials in soil alter the chemistry of the soil water. CEC affects many aspects of soil chemistry, and is used as a measure of soil fertility, as it indicates the capacity of the soil to retain several nutrients (e.g. K+, NH4+, Ca2+) in plant-available form. It also indicates the capacity to retain pollutant cations (e.g. Pb2+). But in podsolic soil type Alumunium contains which is not a nutrient, the excess Al will cause poisonous to plants, its roots become thickened, so that less nutrients can be absorbed. That's the problem were going to eliminate. "Usually people eliminate it with Ca. Whereas the lime comes from mining and its availability is dwindling. As an alternative we try to utilize those which are available in the environment especially organic materials. Organic materials can be agricultural waste, livestock waste and so on, "said Lilik.
In this study, the organic materials used were chicken manure, cow manure, legumes plant material, rice straw, and mixture of rice straw and cow manure with a ratio of 1: 1. The dosage of organic material is equivalent to 7.5 tons / ha, and 15 tons / ha. Sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata L.) was utilized as plant indicator. The parameters measured were Al, pH, P-available, and phosphatase enzyme activity in the soil, and sweet corn plant growth.
"Some kind of organic materials were given into the soil, as they are expected to reduce Al contents as well as its toxic effects. The research revealed they have decreased of Al. With regard to the type manure, the best organic material is chicken manure. This material can lower Al. It was seen in pot experiments, which for other organic materials other plants suffer, only on the provision of chicken manure is pretty good, "said Lilik.
Al is bound into organic acids in the soil. Organic acids in the soil include humus that bind Al to become inactive. Some organic acids form a stable complex with ionic Al, thereby preventing the binding of Al with extra- and intracellular substances of the roots. The mechanism of Al tolerance has been categorized into external or exclusion and internal detoxification mechanisms. Plants can take Al if it is active and readily available condition, however as the element is made inactive so the compound can’t be taken by root. According to Lilik, the similar condition of people who are possibly poisoned. "If this table is full of toxic foods but we do not take any of them, will they affect us? It won’t. Thus it is also occur for plants, if the toxic elements are not available in its immediate environment, they won’t absorb or take, thus they won’t be poisoned. The so-called poisoning when poison being pumped throughout the body that can cause people or animals to die or to become very sick, "she said.
The study has indicated that the organic material provided significantly reduces the Al content and increases the pH value, P-available, yellow Podsolic acid phosphatase enzyme activity of Gajrug, Bogor and sweet corn plant growth. Poultry manure shows its potential for improving soil chemical properties better than other types of organic materials, especially in lowering the Al content and increasing phosphatase enzyme activity, and P- is available in the soil, as well as its effect on the growth of sweet corn plants in acid soils. The correlation test results show that Al is negatively correlated with the available P content of soil and soil pH. (Wied)
