Selection of Soybean Varieties for Coastal Zones in Bengkulu

Abstract

The coastal land has multiple stresses, i.e., lack of soil moisture, plant nutrients and organic matter, high temperature, and salinity, and strong wind. Cultivation of crops in these circumstances requires selected input in the forms of organic fertilizers and biofertilizers, which are environmentally friendly and easy to be developed by the farmers. The aim of this study is to select soybean varieties and their compatibility with bio-fertilizer according to the characteristics of coastal land. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design and repeated five times. The tested factors were soybean varieties (i.e., Anjasmoro, Detam1, Detam2, Grobogan, Malika, and Wilis). Basal fertilization provided was 10-ton ha-1 of organic fertilizer, 200 kg ha-1 of agricultural lime, 50 kg Urea ha-1, and 50 kg ha-1 SP36, and 50 kg KCl ha-1. The results show that Anjasmoro and Wilis varieties have the best growth; their seeds weights were 16.85 and 14.58 g per 100 grains, respectively, and their dry seeds production were 2.67 and 2.58 tons ha-1, respectively. Both varieties also have plant tissue concentration of N (3.85%), P (0.32 to 0.37%), and K (2.44 to 2.50%), which indicate the equality of the needed fertilizers. The results also reveal that both soybean varieties (Anjasmoro and Wilis) are the best candidates for developing soybean cultivation in coastal areas of Bengkulu or anywhere with the same conditions.