Effect of Fertilizer on Growth, Yield, and Bean Quality of Four Robusta Coffee Clones Cultivated in Red-Yellow Podzolic Soil Type, North Lampung

Recommendation of Robusta coffee fertilizer that available until now is only in general. In fact, the type and amount of fertilizer needed is highly dependent on environmental conditions, clones, and plant age. The study aimed to investigate the effect of combination doses of urea, SP36, and KCl fertilizer on growth, yield, and bean quality of four Robusta coffee clones cultivated in red-yellow podzolic soil type (PMK), North Lampung. The study was conducted at KP. Cahaya Negeri, North Lampung, with the altitude of 250 m above sea level, PMK soil type and climate type of C (Oldemand), from October 2011 to June 2014. The research was arranged in split plot design with four replications. The main plot was four Robusta coffee clones i.e. (K1) = BP 42; (K2) = BP 409; (K3) = BP 936; and (K4) = BP 939, while the subplot was four combination doses of urea, SP36, and KCl i.e. (P1) = 30:20:20 g/tree; (P2) = 40:30:30 g/tree; (P3) = 50:40:40 g/tree; and (P4) = 60:50:50 g/tree. The results showed that four Robusta coffee clones (BP 42, BP 409, BP 936, and BP 939) cultivated in PMK soil type, KP. Cahaya Negeri, North Lampung, had the same response to combination doses of urea, SP36 and KCl fertilizer. The combination doses of urea, SP36, and KCl of 50, 40, and 40 g/tree, respectively were optimal and efficient for growth and yield of those four clones until 2.5 years old. However, the dose has not yet been able to improve the quality of coffee beans

Fertilization Technology on Cashew Trees.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linn) is among the leading export crops in Indonesia. It is also animportant smallholder crop mainly grown in the eastern parts of Indonesia. Its expansion of growing the crop, it is however n ot followed by significant increases in yields, being low ranging of 200 – 350 kg/ha. Many factors believed affect yields achieved, begun from environment, cultivatedvarieties, up to poor management of cashew orchard. As the cashew trees are mostly developed in marginal lands, role of ferti lizer uses may become exeedingly important effort in improving the productivity of the crops. In addition, there are many evidences that the crops adequately managed may give better in yields. However, most farmers do not use fertilizers for the crops or if any, added in very small amounts obviously addressed for annual crops like maize, bean or rice usually planted among the cashew trees. As results, the cashew trees are not able to achieve opti mum yields even though the planting materials used might have high in yield potential. The fertilizers that may be used both in form of organic and inorganic ones. They should be added in such way, so the soils on which the crops are planted be able to grow and develop well, in turn, their yields increase significantly