Biomass and nutrient stocks of secondary vegetation
86 possibility to utilize organic material of the spontaneous vegetation as
source of mulch of the region. However, this application could only be adopted if the land was managed by free-land preparation.
The effects of biofertilizer and mulch on the yield of intercropped maize and peanut in Ultisols had been conducted. Effects of various doses of
mulch and bokashi fertilizer on the yield of intercropped maize and peanut were amazing that had been reported by [11], as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. The yield of maize and peanut in intercropping system treated by
various doses of mulch and bokashi fertilizer in Ultisols
Treatment Maize
Peanut Seed weight of
100 grains g Seed dry weight
t ha
-1
Seed weight of 100 grains g
Seed dry weight t ha
-1
Mulch t ha
-1
17.36 b 6.27
26.95 1.84 b
4 19.15 ab
7.08 27.26
2.12 ab 8
21.95 a 8.49
30.87 2.31 a
Bokashi fertilizer t ha
-1
18.45 6.74 b
27.68 1.854 b
5 20.49
7.98 ab 28.94
2.153 ab 10
21.56 8.32 a
31.74 2.377 a
Note: Values followed by different letter at the same column a-c were significant differences at DMRT of 95 confidence level, as reported by [11].
The result showed that the higher, the level of mulch and bokashi fertilizer applied, the more the variables of maize and peanut produced. Table 2
showed that the highest levels of mulch treatment 8 t ha
-1
and bokashi fertilizer 10 t ha
-1
gave the best response for maize and peanut yield, while the application of mulch had non significant difference on seed grain weight
of maize, and the treatment of bokashi fertilizer gave non significant different on seed weight of 100 grains of maize. Average production of seed
dry weight of maize achieved was 8.07 t ha
-1
, while there was a trend of good yield of maize obtained at the mulch treatment of 8 t ha
-1
8.49 t ha
-1
and 10 t ha
-1
of bokashi fertilizer 8.32 t ha
-1
that was higher compared to the potential yield of maize.
The applications of mulch and bokashi fertilizer have an effect partially or interactively on the growth and yield of maize and peanut in intercropping
system. In this research work, there was an interaction effect between mulch and bokashi fertilizer on variables recorded Table 2. The higher the level
of mulch and bokashi fertilizer applied, the more the seed weight of 100
87 grains of maize and the dry pod weight of peanut. This finding revealed that
there was a synergism effect on both factors treated, the limitation from mulch factor could be fulfilled from bokashi fertilizer. Mulch treatment
plays an important role to protect a plant from high temperature and create good microclimate to support plant growth [12,13] and after mulch
decomposed may contribute to increase soil fertility [14]. In addition, bokashi fertilizer provides sufficient organic material that contains macro
and micro nutrients to improve soil chemical condition which then be used for plant growth and yield [15,16,17]. This research proved that mulch
might increase soil permeability, develop good soil structure and maintain microclimate condition that could be considerably noted compared with the
treatment without mulch [13,18,19]. Moreover, research finding also indicated that higher level of bokashi fertilizer provided sufficient nutrients
and reached nutrient balance that promotes photosynthesis running in proper way, and sustain the allocation and distribution of nutrient to all parts
of maize and peanut tissues. Then, the effects of much and bokashi fertilizer on plant growth of maize and peanut, and on yield of maize and peanut
varied. This finding was similar to the results reported by [14,19,20,21,22]. 3.3.
Economic analyses
One of the important factors of the success for agribusiness investation is the determination of economic analyses so that the program plan will be
useful and benefit to the improvement of community welfare. The result of Cereal Research Center of Maros in 2004 reported that integrated crop
system of Lamuru maize using combined organic and in organic fertilizers might increase maize production and farmers revenue Table 3.
Table 3. Productivity and revenue of maize farming in dryland agriculture
system during dry season through integrated cropping pattern and transfer technology.
No. Description
Farmer IAS
1. Productivity tha
4.81 7.87
2. Production Value Rpha
3,281,625 5,366,250
3. Production Budget Rpha
2,054,725 2,320,750
4. Benefit
1,226,950 3,045,500
Source: www.balitsereal.com, Copyright 2004 Cereal Research Center, Address: Street. Dr. Ratulangi 274 Maros South Sulawesi.
Based on the simple economic simulation with assumed that the total yield of maize and peanut might reach 9 t ha
-1
and 1.5 t ha
-1
, respectively, the result of profit analyses concluded that maize and peanut production using
appropriate technology is potentially benefit, reasonable and might give a
88 sufficient revenue, ecologically environmentally sound, and socially
acceptable. The result of profit analyses with assumption of optimal maize and peanut yield was presented in Table 4.
Table 4. Profit analyses of maize and peanut yield with medium assumption of crops per year
No. Description
Volume Unit price Rp.kg
Total Rp. 1. Maize yield in ton
9x1000x500 3,200
14,400,000,000 2. Peanut yield in ton 1.5x1000x500
7,600 5,700,000,000
Sub Total 20,100,000,000
Profit Analyses per year: Revenue: Rp. 20,100,000,000 - Production cost = Rp. 20,025,000,000
– Rp. 5,412,500,000 = Rp. 14,687,500,000. From this simple calculation, it could
be concluded that 1. Maize and peanut crops either planted in monocropping or in multiple
cropping system might sustainably assure the existence of increasing agriculture production.
2. Farming system of maize and peanut for a year with two periods of planting time for the area of 100 ha 10 ha for office area: a Getting a
revenue value as Rp.146,408,333month, and b Total budget as Rp.511,633,333month.
3. Result of BC ratio analyses is 0.28 BC0 and RC ratio value is 1.28 RC1. It’s meant that farming system of maize intercropped with
peanut is feasible and tends to have benefit. 4. Break Event Point BEP is as follows: a Maize crop gets BEP when
the total amount of yield reaches 897.09 ton; and normal yield is 1,800 ton, b Sale price is Rp.1,744kg with normal sale price is Rp.3,500kg.
5. The value of BEP as a business capital is as follows: a Peanut gets BEP when the total amount of peanut yield must be 406,553 ton with normal
yield of 300 ton, and b Sale price is Rp.10,299kg with normal price of Rp.7,600kg.
According to the above results, it could be concluded that there is no doubt that this technology of agriculture production might give multiple effects on
the development of human resources and maintain the stability of human life. At the ecological aspects, soil and climate condition are suitable for the
sustainable crop production, for example maize and peanut planted in intercropping system.
Selection of a crop cultivated which has high yield and adaptability to a certain area determines the sustainability of high production either planted
89 monocropping or intercropping. This trend is inline with the main objective
of Master plan for Acceleration of Indonesian Economic Development Sulawesi Corridor as to be responded. Maize and peanut are two crops of
suitable option which can be more advantageous to cultivate in intercropping system, since peanut is a legume crop that may contribute
nutrient through nitrogen fixation to the soil. The arrangement of crop space for maize and peanut properly in intercropping system may increase soil
efficiency [23]. It could be summarized that the application of bokashi fertilizer and mulch derived from secondary vegetation had significant
effects and better responses on the improvement of maize and peanut production, and it might doubled improve maize and peanut yield compared
to control.