REPLACING SLASH AND BURN PRACTICES WITH SLASH AND COMPOSTING TO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM DEGRADED PEATLAND

Slash and burn are commonly practiced in opening new field in tropical peatland. This method, if uncontrolled, may cause peat fires and increase CO2 emissions. Therefore, alternative method of peatland preparation for agriculture is needed. The study aimed to obtain peatland preparation technologies to prevent peat fires and reduce CO2 emissions. The study was conducted at degraded peatland in Kalampangan, Central Kalimantan from June to October 2017. Split plot design with three replications was used. The main plot was the type of land arrangement, i.e. without and with raised beds. The subplot was the type of land preparation, i.e. slash and burn, slash followed by composting the weeds, slash and make the weeds as mulches, and slash followed by composting the weeds and accompanied by plastic mulch. Soil characteristics, fires vulnerability, and CO2 emissions were measured before and after land preparation. Results showed that slash and composting reduced CO2 emission from cultivated peatland. Slash and burn resulted 4.98 t CO2 ha-1 emissions per season, which is four times higher than slash followed by composting that produced 1.20 t CO2 ha-1 per season. Groundwater level, redox potential (Eh), soil pH, and soil water content affected CO2 emissions. Groundwater level and water content negatively correlated with CO2 emissions. The shallow water level and the high water content, the lower is CO2 emissions. The Eh and soil pH positively correlated with CO2 emissions. The high positive value of Eh indicates that the soil was in high oxidative conditions, resulting in high CO2 emissions.

The Use of Biochar for Improve Soil Properties and Growth of Paddy in Peatland

The main constraint in the management of peatlands include: high soil acidity, very low of nutrient availability especially NPK. The study aimed to determine the role of biochar to improve soil properties and paddy growth in peatlands. The study conducted in Landasan Ulin rural, Gambut district, Banjar regency, South Kalimantan. The study was conducted from June to October 2012. Research arranged in a randomized block design, with three replications. The treatment given was a combination of the type and dose of ameliorant i.e. the 3 types of ameliorant: F1 (50% purun tikus grass + 50% agricultural weed), F2 (16.7% chicken manure + biochar 83.3%), F3 (9% chicken manure + 91% purun tikus grass), with a dose of 2.5, 5 and 7.5 t ha-1 and control. The results showed that treatment of biochar could to increase soil pH, total N, and exchangable P (Bray I) though not significant, and significant in increasing the exchangable K compared to controls. On the growth of rice plants giving biochar can increase plant height, number of tillers and number of panicles compared to controls

Effect of Land Preparation and Land Arragement on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield of Red Pepper (Capsicum annum) in Peat land

Lahan gambut berpotensi untuk dijadikan areal pengembangan tanaman cabai, namun diperlukan teknologi pengelolaan lahan yang tepat. Salah satu teknologi yang diperlukan adalah teknologi persiapan lahan tanpa bakar dan penataan lahan. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh persiapan dan penataan lahan terhadap kesuburan, pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman cabai merah. Penelitian dilaksanakan di lahan gambut di desa Kalampangan, Kecamatan Sebangau, Kodya Palangkaraya, pada bulan Juni sampai Oktober 2017. Rancangan percobaan menggunakan Split Plot yang diulang 3 kali. Petak utama adalah jenis penataan lahan (U1= tanpa bedengan dan U2 = bedengan tinggi 30 cm). Anak Petak adalah jenis persiapan lahan (A1= semprot, tebas, bakar, A2 = tebas, kompos, A3 = tebas, mulsa, A4 = tebas, kompos, mulsa plastik). Pengamatan meliputi tinggi tanaman dan hasil tanaman cabai, pH tanah dan kadar P tersedia di tanah. Perlakuan yang memberikan hasil cabai tertinggi adalah perlakuan penataan lahan sistem guludan yang dikombinasikan dengan sistem persiapan lahan tebas, kemudian bahan dikomposkan+mulsa plastik, sedangkan hasil paling rendah pada perlakuan penataan lahan tanpa guludan pada sistem persiapan lahan tebas dan gulma digunakan untuk mulsa. Hasil tanaman cabai di tanah gambut berhubungan dengan pH tanah dan konsentrasi P tersedia di tanah. Kata kunci: mulsa plastik, sistem bedengan, tebas-bakar, tebas-kompos, tebas-mulsaPeatlands are potential to be used as red pepper development areas. The technology of land preparation and land management is indispensable in the utilization of peatlands. The study aimed to study the effect of land preparation on soil fertility, growth and yield of red peppers. The research was carried out on peatland in Kalampangan village, Sebangau Sub-District, Kodya Palangkaraya, (-2 O179’9’’S, 144O1’31’’ E, 53,8m) from June to October, 2017. The experiment used Split Plot design, 3 replications. The main plot is types of land arrangement (U1 = without rise beds and U2 = with rise beds). The plot is a type of land preparation (A1=slash, burn, A2=slash, compost, A3=slash, mulch, A4= slash, compost, plastic mulch). Observations were made on plant growth, soil pH and P available on soil and red pepper yields. The highest yield of red pepper was reached on the treatment of land arrangement of beds system combined with land clearing system, then compostable materials+plastic mulch, while the lowest yield on the without bed + soil treatment on slash and weed was used for mulch. The result of pepper plant in peat soil is influenced by soil pH and P concentration is available in soil. Keywords: bed system, slash-burn, slash-compost, slash-mulch, plastic mulc

THE USE OF BIOCHAR FOR IMPROVE SOIL PROPERTIES AND GROWTH OF PADDY IN PEATLAND

The main constraint in the management of peatlands include: high soil acidity, very low of nutrient availability especially NPK. The study aimed to determine the role of biochar to improve soil properties and paddy growth in peatlands. The study conducted in Landasan Ulin rural, Gambut district, Banjar regency, South Kalimantan. The study was conducted from June to October 2012. Research arranged in a randomized block design, with three replications. The treatment given was a combination of the type and dose of ameliorant i.e. the 3 types of ameliorant: F1 (50% purun tikus grass + 50% agricultural weed), F2 (16.7% chicken manure + biochar 83.3%), F3 (9% chicken manure + 91% purun tikus grass), with a dose of 2.5, 5 and 7.5 t ha-1 and control. The results showed that treatment of biochar could to increase soil pH, total N, and exchangable P (Bray I) though not significant, and significant in increasing the exchangable K compared to controls. On the growth of rice plants giving biochar can increase plant height, number of tillers and number of panicles compared to controls

Effectiveness of Some Ameliorants in Reducing Co2 and N2o Emission in Corn Planting in Peat Land

Amelioration is very important in supporting plant growth in peat land. The use of low emission ameliorant will support the sustainability of agricultural system in peat land. The research is intended to study the effectiveness of some ameliorants in reducing CO2 and N2O emission in corn planting in peat land. The research was conducted in April to October 2013, in Kalampangan Village Palangkaraya Municipality Central Kalimantan. Ameliorant materials used were chicken manure fertilizer, domolite, mineral soil, paddy husk biochar, coconut shell biochar. Ameliorant treatments applied were the type of ameliorant compositions, those were (A1) 80% chicken manure fertilizer + 20% dolomite, (A2) 20% chicken manure fertilizer + 20% agricultural weeds + 20% spodosol mineral soil + 20% “purun tikus” (eleocharis dulcis) compost + 20% dolomite, (A3) 19% chicken manure fertilizer + 9% dolomite + 72% mineral soil, (A4) 100% coconut shell biochar, (A5) paddy husk biochar, (A6) farmer’s way (20% ash + 40% spodosol mineral soil + 40% chicken manure fertilizer) and control. Experiment design used a Randomized Factorial Block Design, with 3 repetitions. Ameliorant dosage used was 7.5 t/ha. The crop used was hybrid corn. Parameters which were observed periodically were emission of CO2 and N2O, ground water level height, soil pH and Eh, once a month for 5 periods. The research result showed that ameliorant was capable of reducing emission of both CO2 and N2O in corn planting in peat land. Coconut shell biochar could reduce emission of CO2 up to 26% as compared with control, whereas paddy husk biochar could reduce emission of N2O up to 52% as compared with control