THE EFFECT OF MULSA AND ORGANIC FERTILIZER TYPES ON GROWTH OF JALAR SWEET PLANT IN

MAGETAN DISTRICT, EAST JAVA

Brenda Titania1; Martha Gresita Damanik2; Azizah3; Shafi Akbar Pamungkas4; Deni Nanda Eka Saputra5

Brawijaya University

E-mail

brendatitania@student.ub.ac.id; gresita_damanik@student.ub.ac.id; azizahonly@student.ub.ac.id; ...

Abstract

PRELIMINARY

Indonesia is known as an agricultural country that has the potential to produce food. The need for food
in Indonesia is increasing as the population grows, so it is necessary to replace or substitute the main
food source that came from cereals to become food from tubers. One type of tubers whose existence is
quite abundant and widely developed in Indonesia is sweet potato. Sweet potato is one of Indonesia's
agricultural products which is widely cultivated in Java, especially East Java in the Magetan Regency.

Magetan Regency is one of the largest sweet potato producing centers located in East Java (Balitkabi,
2019). According to BPS data (2018), for 3 consecutive years sweet potato production in Magetan
Regency, East Java decreased, which was 79,958 tons in 2015 then dropped to 66,355 tons in 2016, and
in 2017 it fell to 36,344 tons. The decline in sweet potato production can be caused by the influence of
the conversion of agricultural land into industrial land (Ariani et al., 2003). Meanwhile, demand for
sweet potato production in the country continues to increase. Seeing these conditions it is necessary to
intensify agriculture on sweet potato plants. One form of intensification that can be done is through the
innovation of planting on sweet potato plants (Novrianti and Edy, 2018). Planting innovation in sweet
potato plants aims to increase agricultural production which will later have an impact on increasing
income and welfare of farmers.

Planting innovation that is currently widely used in crop cultivation activities is mulching. According to
Sudjianto and Veronica (2009), mulch is a surface cover material that serves to maintain soil moisture
and temperature, and suppress the growth of weeds in a land, so that cultivation plants can grow more
optimally. The use of mulch as a material or material applied to the land can support the growth and
development of cultivated plants optimally which can increase crop production. Besides mulching
innovations, organic fertilizer is also beneficial for increasing crop production because it can increase
land productivity and reduce environmental pollution (Munanto, 2013).

Based on the above problems, more research is needed to increase sweet potato crop production so
that it can meet the demand for sweet potatoes in the country. This article tries to answer "how is the
effect of giving mulch and organic fertilizer types that are suitable to be applied to sweet potato plants
in Magetan Regency, East Java?" This article is based on the argument that organic mulch and fertilizer
applied to the land can support plant growth and development optimally. The purpose of this study is to
analyze the effect of mulch and organic fertilizer on the growth and development of sweet potato plants
and provide appropriate solutions to increase sweet potato crop production.

METHODOLOGY

Research using qualitative description methods. The analysis begins with knowing the requirements for
growing sweet potato plants, then the influence of the use of mulch on sweet potato plants, the
characteristics of organic fertilizer, and the effect of organic fertilizer for plants. The data used is sourced
from journals, proceedings, theses, and online print media. The results of the study were solutions to
the use of mulch and the dose of organic fertilizer for sweet potato plants.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Requirements for Growing Sweet Potato Plants

Sweet potato plants are tropical and subtropical plants. In tropical Indonesia, sweet potato plants are
suitable to be planted in the lowlands to a height of 500 meters above sea level. Sweet potato plants can
also grow to a height of 1,000 meters above sea level, sweet potatoes can grow well, but the harvest
time is longer and the results are low.

Requirements for growing sweet potato climate can grow well if they meet the conditions for growing
according to the growth of sweet potato plants. The optimum temperature is 21oC - 27oC. Sweet potato
plants are tolerant at a minimum temperature of 16oC and a maximum temperature of 40oC, but the
results are not good. Humidity (RH) 50% - 60% with rainfall 750 mm - 1,500 mm per year. In Indonesia,
sweet potato plants can be planted starting from 0 meters above sea level to 1,000 meters above sea
level and need sunshine for 11-12 hours per day (Jedeng, 2011).

Sweet potatoes can grow in various types of soil, but optimum results are obtained if planted in sandy
loam soil that has organic material and good drainage, and planting must be done on the mounds.
Sweet potatoes can also be planted in fields or fields. Land preparation functions to make the media
grow loose and fertile so that plants can grow well. The soil is cultivated and made ridges with a width of
40-50 cm and a height of 20-30 cm. The distance between the ridges is 20 cm (South Sulawesi
Agricultural Technology Assessment Center, 2010). Sweet potato plants are not resistant to standing
water or poorly drained soil. This situation can cause plants to grow stunted, leaves turn yellow and
bulbs can rot. Sweet potato plants can grow in soil acidity (pH) 4.5 - 7.5, but are optimal for tuber
growth at pH 5.5 - 7 (Sarwono, 2005).