Tillage Systems and Fertilization for Increase of Yam’s Local Tuber (Dioscorea esculenta) on Farming System at Moluccas

Abstract

A field research was conducted at Makariki Experimental Farm, Moluccas Assessment Institutes for Agricultural Technology, Central Moluccas. The study aims to know the effect of tillage systems and fertilization for increase of growth and yield of yam’s local tuber (Dioscorea esculenta). Experiments using split plot design with 20 treatments and three replications. The main plot were tillage system consisted of four tillage systems, ie: (A1) Minimum Tillage + Single Mound/”Kuming”; (A2) Minimum Tillage + Lenghtwise Mound/”Guludan”; (A3) Intensive Tillage + Single Mound, and (A4) Intensive Tillage + Lenghtwise Mound, sub plots were fertilization, consisting of (B0) Without fertilizeration; (B1) Complete NPK Fertilization (135 kg N +135 kg P₂O₅ + 90 kg K₂O/ha), (B2) NP Fertilization (135 kg N + 90 kg P₂O₅ /ha), (B3) NK Fertilization (135 kg N + 135 kg K₂O/ha), and (B4) PK Fertilization (90 kg P₂O₅ + 135 kg K₂0/ha). Sub plot size 4 m x 3 m with spacing of 100 cm x 75 cm. Source of fertilizer N, P and K in a row came from Urea, TSP, and KCl. Fertilizer N and K are given three times, i.e. the one third dose given at age 10 dap (days after planting), one third dose at age 30 dap and the rest one third dose at age 60 dap, whereas the P fertilizer entirely given at age 10 dap. The results showed that the tillage system and fertilization in single influence on growth, yield components and yield per hectare of yam’s local tuber, but both are no significant interactions. Intensive tillage system, followed by creating lenghtwise mound influence the growth and yield components as well as providing the highest yield of yam’s local tuber (19.97 t/ha). Complete NPK fertilization (135 kg N +135 kg P₂O₅ + 90 kg K₂O/ha) also provides a real influence on the growth and yield components as well as providing the highest yield of yam’s local tuber (21.86 t/ha) and not significantly different compared to the NK fertilization (135 kg N + 135 kg K₂O/ha) which consist of 19.58 t/ha.