Reduction in the Emission Rate of Greenhouse Gases and the Increase in Crop Production by Using Compost on Marginal Land

Abstract

Greenhouse gases dominated by CO2, CH4, CFC, and N2O come from human (anthropogenic) activities. Efforts to increase the production of rice and corn crops require organic and inorganic fertilizers. The use of chemical fertilizers, which can increase greenhouse gas emissions, is higher than that of organic fertilizers. This study aimed to investigate the reduction in the greenhouse gas emission rate and the increase in crop production caused by organic fertilizer from rice straw and cocoa peel, a community-based sustainable development approach based on education. This research used the mixed method, a descriptive and simple experimental design with the following treatments: t0 = without Compost; ta = straw rice compost dosage of 3 t ha-1; tb = cocoa pod husk dosage of 3 t ha-1; Bta = maize crops + without compost (t0); Btb = maize crops + cocoa pod husk compost (tb); Sta = bare soil + without compost (t0); Stb = rice crops + straw compost (ta); Stc = rice crops + cocoa pod husk compost (tb); and Std = rice crops + without compost (t0). The application of compost reduced agricultural waste and greenhouse gas emissions of CH4 and N2O in both maize and rice fields. Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 30 percent compared to those under the application of chemical fertilizers. The utilization of compost as organic fertilizer also increased the production of corn and rice crops compared to that without the application of agricultural waste up to 10.3 tons per ha.