Effect of combination of inorganic fertilizer and biochar-coastal sediment on nutrient availability and growth of corn plants in alluvial soil

Abstract

Fertilizer is one of the inputs in plant cultivation that requires high costs. However, unfavourable soil conditions so that most of the nutrients contained in fertilizers cannot be absorbed by plant roots. The purpose of this study was to increase the availability of nutrients and plant growth by applying a mixture of biochar – coastal sediment with inorganic fertilizers on alluvial soil. The study was a single factor experiment arranged in a completely randomized design with five replications. Treatment consisted of A: without giving fertilizer, treatment B: giving inorganic fertilizer 100% of the recommended dosage, treatment C: inorganic fertilizer mixed with biochar and coastal sediment 75% + 25% fertilizer recommended dosage, treatment D: inorganic fertilizer mixed with biochar and coastal sediment 50% + 50% fertilizer recommended dosage and treatment, E: inorganic fertilizer mixed with biochar and coastal sediment 25% + 75% fertilizer recommended dosage and treatment F: inorganic fertilizer mixed with biochar and coastal sediment 100% recommended dosage. The application of inorganic fertilizer mixed with biochar and coastal sediment 100% recommended dosage was able to increase the availability of nutrients P, K, Mg and growth of corn plants in Alluvial.