Utilize Open Space of Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Plantation at Immature Stages for Growing Maize (Zea Mays L.) which is Applied Biofertilizer

Abstract

Land optimizing in oil palm plantation could be conducted by adopting polyculture cropping system of maize grown under oil palm trees during immature stage (IS) due to wider plant distance. The maize growth depends on genetic and environmental condition such as soil fertility, in fact oil palm plantation is often located in marginal area which is lack of fertility like Inceptisol soil type in Jatinangor, so that it needs supply of biofertilizer to improve soil fertility. This study was to get interaction effect between biofertilizer application and kind of maize varieties that is giving best effect on growth and yield of maize under polyculture system of immature oil palm trees. The experiment was conducted from November 2017 to February 2018. The experimental design was using split plot which was biofertilizer as a main plot and biofertilizer application as a subplot. The result showed all varieties of maize gave significant effect on plant height, leaves number, and cob size. Independently, maize variety of DR6 gave the best effect on plant height at 4 and 6 WAP (weeks after planting), DR1 gave the best effect on leaves number at 4, 6, 8 WAP, and DR5 gave the best effect on cob size.