Land equivalent ratio polyculture of liberica coffee (Coffea liberica)-areca nut (Areca catechu L.) and liberica coffee-tall coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

Abstract

The research was carried out at Sungai Beras Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, in May-August 2021. The research object was five years old areca nut with three years old liberica coffee, ten years old tall coconut with three years old liberica coffee, three years old liberica coffee, five years old areca nuts, and ten years old tall coconut. The equipment used was GPS, scales, meters, and a camera. This study used a survey method by numbering the sample with a systemic sampling. The parameters observed in this study were plant height, spacing, stem diameter, crop productivity, and the LER between coffee-areca nut and coffee-coconut polycultures. The results showed that liberica coffee polyculture cultivation with areca nut or tall coconut was better than monoculture liberica coffee cultivation. The productivity of the liberica coffee polyculture cultivation area with areca nut plants increased by 19% compared to the productivity of the liberica coffee monoculture. The productivity of liberica coffee polyculture with tall coconut increased by 8% compared to the productivity of liberica coffee monoculture. There is a difference in land productivity of 11% when liberica coffee is cultivated in polyculture with areca nuts compared to liberica coffee polyculture with tall coconut.