Original research article
Potential of Agriculture By-Product for Improving N-Fixing Bacteria Performance in Acid Soil
2024, 89 (4) p. 351-360
Pujawati Suryatmana, Diyan Herdiyantoro, Nadia Nuraniya Kamaluddin, Mieke Rochimi Setiawati
Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing bacterial (Nfb) isolates are sensitive to acidic pH, potentially hindering their activity in acidic soils. To address this challenge, a study was conducted to explore the potential of coconut water, rice bran, and molasses—agricultural by-products—in enhancing the performance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria for boosting soybean (Glycine max L) productivity in the acidic soil of Inceptisol-Jatinangor, West Java, Indonesia. The study employed a completely randomized design (CRD) with six treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised: (A) control (Nfb), (B) Nfb in compost, and (C to F) Nfb in compost supplemented with molasses, coconut water, rice bran, and a combination of all three organic stimulant. Biodynamic patterns of Nfb, chlorophyll content index, nodule count, plant height and pod number were evaluated. Results indicated that coconut water treatment yielded the highest Azotobacter spp. density. Moreover, coconut water and mixed stimulant treatments significantly boosted the chlorophyll content index by 46.77% and 50.99%, respectively, along with notable increases in nodule count, plant height, and pod number. Azospirillum spp. density exhibited a positive correlation with the chlorophyll content index, while the latter strongly influenced plant height and pod production. Coconut water emerged as the most effective stimulant, enhancing Nfb effectivity and elevating soybean pod numbers in Inceptisol-acid soil by 62.3% compared to Nfb without stimulant agent.
Keywords
Azospirillum spp., Azotobacter spp., Glycine max L, Inceptisol, organic-stimulant
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