To overcome insufficient sweet corn production in Indonesia, various strategies have been developed to improve its production. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic fertilizer (i.e. cow manure) and inorganic fertilizer application on nutrient uptake and yield of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata Sturt). Inceptisol possess low soil fertility and relatively low to moderate level of organic matter content. Application of organic fertilizer in combination with inorganic fertilizers is expected to increase N, P and K uptake and yield of sweet corn. This study was conducted from October 2016 to February 2017 at the Field Experimental Station of Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Padjadjaran in Jatinangor, West Java. The study was performed in a Randomized Block Design consisting of 10 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were as follow: A = Control, B = Standard NPK, C = 0 NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, D = ¼ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, E = ½ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, F = ¾ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, G = 1 NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, H = ¾ NPK + ¼ organic fertilizer, I = ¾ NPK + ½ organic fertilizer and J = ¾ NPK + ¾ organic fertilizer. The results showed that the treatment I (¾ NPK + ½ organic fertilizer) resulted in the highest N, P and K uptake, i.e. 54.31 mg plant-1; 82.85 mg plant-1 and 56.40 mg plant-1, respectively and the heaviest weight of sweet corn, i.e. 407.33 g.

Artisanal gold miners usually dispose of gold mine tailings in storage ponds or agricultural land used for farming. However, the gold mine tailings still contain heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc and can lead to bioaccumulation in food chains. This study investigated the influence of composted cow manure as organic fertilizer on heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) content in sweet potatoes grown on soil contaminated by gold mine tailing. The MZ119 clone sweet potato plants were grown on soils added with mixtures of gold mine tailings at ratios of 0% (control), 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% (w/w), and composted cow manure (0, 250, 500, and 750 g/10 kg of soil). The results showed that the higher the ratio of gold mine tailings to the soil, the higher the accumulation of metals in sweet potatoes. According to the translocation factor (TF) value, heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) accumulated higher in the shoots than in the roots of sweet potatoes. Accumulation of heavy metals in sweet potato occurred in the following order: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. This study recommends that sweet potatoes could be used for the phytoremediation of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in polluted soils, but the plants may not be used for consumption.

Rice cultivation is a source of methane emissions (CH4), contributing to global warming. Efforts to reduce CH4 emissions play an important role in sustainable rice production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of silica-enriched biochar on CH4 emissions, soil chemical properties, and the...

Food security remains a critical global challenge, particularly as land degradation, driven by excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, continues to threaten soil fertility and crop productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of liquid and semi-solid fermented organic waste and their effects on several soil chemical properties and sweet corn yield. The experiment was conducted in a corn field in Pagerwangi Village, West Java, Indonesia. The experiment used a Split-Plot Design with three replications. The main plot was the fermented waste product treatment, which consisted of three levels: no product (A0), liquid product (A1), and semi-solid product (A2). The subplot was the N-P-K dose level, which consisted of four levels: 0 N-P-K (a0), 1/2 N-P-K dose (a1), 3/4 N-P-K dose (a2), and standard N-P-K dose (a3). The research findings indicated that the macro and microelements present in semi-solid products were several times higher compared to liquid ones. Furthermore, the microbial population in semi-solid products exhibited higher density compared to liquid products. Field tests also demonstrated that both liquid product (A1) and semi-solid product (A2) significantly increased total nitrogen, organic-C, and soil pH compared to the control (A0). The highest sweet corn productivity was observed in treatment A2, with a yield increase of 47.62% compared to the control. The research results suggested that the use of fermented organic waste products could enhance soil fertility and sweet corn production.

Soil fertility is recognized as a crucial factor in supporting plant growth and productivity. The utilization of biofertilizers as environmentally friendly fertilizers is aimed at enhancing soil fertility and plant productivity. This study aims to explore the potential of local material for developing local wisdom biofertilizers (LWB) for achieving sustainable agriculture. A systematic literature review was conducted using bibliometric analysis, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews, and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, employing the Scopus search engine with the keywords "local AND wisdom AND biofertilizer" OR "biofertilizer" OR "local AND microorganism" OR "soil AND health OR crop AND productivity OR sustainable agriculture". The search yielded 704 articles, of which 11 were deemed eligible after selection. Based on the literature review, it was found that there are local materials, including fish waste, seaweed, Azolla, fruit waste, Moringa oleifera, microalga, bamboo roots, banana hump, golden snail, mangrove leaves, fruit, and vegetable waste that can be used as raw materials for LWB to improve soil health, plant growth, and productivity. The development of LWB as a new fertilizer technology faces challenges such as lack of regulations, low public trust, limited farmer awareness, weak promotion, and raw material shortages. Further research is needed to intensively study and enhance the effectiveness of LWB through enrichment using beneficial microorganisms.

The beneficial soil microbes influence plant growth and soil quality. The soil microbes include phosphate solubilizing microbes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The experiments had been conducted to investigate the application of phosphate-solubilizing mircrobes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria and N, P, K fertilizers on soil nitrogen (N), chlorophyll and yield of upland rice on Ultisols. This experiment arranged in a factorial Randomized Block Design, consisted of two factors with three replications. The first factor consisted of beneficial soil microbes, which were without soil microbes; with microbial consortia 1(Pseudomonas mallei, P. cepaceae, Aspergillus nigerandPenicillium sp., Azotobacter chroococum, Azospirillum sp.);with microbial consortia 2(Azotobacter choroococum, A. viilandii, Azospirillum, Pseudomonas cepaceae, PenicilliumandAcitenobacter); and mixed of mcrobial consortia 1+2. The second factor were NPK fertilizers with four levels (100%, 75%, 50% and 25% dosage of recomendation). The results showed that the application of the beneficial soil microbes and N, P, K fertilizers didn’t improve soil N, chlorophyll content and yield upland rice on Ultisols.