Rahayu Widyastuti

Impact of tropical lowland rainforest conversion into rubber and oil palm plantations on soil microbial communities

Focusing on Sumatra, a hotspot of tropical lowland rainforest transformation, we investigated effects of the conversion of rainforests into rubber agroforests (“jungle rubber”), intensive rubber, and oil palm plantations on the communities of litter and soil microorganisms and identified factors responsible for these changes. Litter basal respiration, microbial biomass, total bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and fungal PLFAs did not vary significantly with rainforest conversion. In litter of converted ecosystems, the concentration of certain PLFAs including the Gram-negative bacteria marker PLFA cy17:0 and the Gram-positive bacteria marker PLFA i17:0 was reduced as compared to rainforest, whereas the concentration of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) marker neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) 16:1ω5c increased. As indicated by redundancy analysis, litter pH and carbon concentration explained most of the variation in litter microbial community composition. In soil, microbial biomass did not vary significantly with rainforest conversion, whereas basal respiration declined. Total PLFAs and especially that of Gram-negative bacteria decreased, whereas PLFA i17:0 increased with rainforest conversion. The concentration of fungal PLFAs increased with rainforest conversion, whereas NLFA 16:1ω5c did not change significantly. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil pH explained most of the variation in soil microbial community composition. Overall, the data suggest that conversion of rainforests into production systems results in more pronounced changes in microbial community composition in soil as compared to litter. In particular, the response of fungi and bacteria was more pronounced in soil, while the response of AMF was more pronounced in litter. Notably, only certain bacterial markers but not those of saprotrophic fungi and AMF were detrimentally affected by rainforest conversion.

Changes in Structure and Functioning of Protist (Testate Amoebae) Communities Due to Conversion of Lowland Rainforest into Rubber and Oil Palm Plantations

Large areas of tropical rainforest are being converted to agricultural and plantation land uses, but little is known of biodiversity and ecological functioning under these replacement land uses. We investigated the effects of conversion of rainforest into jungle rubber, intensive rubber and oil palm plantations on testate amoebae, diverse and functionally important protists in litter and soil. Living testate amoebae species richness, density and biomass were all lower in replacement land uses than in rainforest, with the impact being more pronounced in litter than in soil. Similar abundances of species of high and low trophic level in rainforest suggest that trophic interactions are more balanced, with a high number of functionally redundant species, than in rubber and oil palm. In contrast, plantations had a low density of high trophic level species indicating losses of functions. This was particularly so in oil palm plantations. In addition, the relative density of species with siliceous shells was >50% lower in the litter layer of oil palm and rubber compared to rainforest and jungle rubber. This difference suggests that rainforest conversion changes biogenic silicon pools and increases silicon losses. Overall, the lower species richness, density and biomass in plantations than in rainforest, and the changes in the functional composition of the testate amoebae community, indicate detrimental effects of rainforest conversion on the structure and functioning of microbial food webs.

Trophic niches, diversity and community composition of invertebrate top predators (Chilopoda) as affected by conversion of tropical lowland rainforest in Sumatra (Indonesia)

Conversion of tropical rainforests into plantations fundamentally alters ecological niches of animal species. Generalist predators such as centipedes (Chilopoda) may be able to persist in converted ecosystems due to their ability to adapt and switch to alternative prey populations. We investigated variations in community composition and trophic niches of soil and litter living centipedes in a range of ecosystems including rainforests, jungle rubber agroforests, and rubber and oil palm monocultures in two landscapes in Sumatra, Indonesia. Including information on environmental factors in the soil and litter habitat, we explored drivers shaping ecological niches of soil living invertebrate predators in one of the world’s hotspots of rainforest conversion. Conversion of rainforests into agroforests and plantations was associated with a marked change in the composition of centipede communities. However, irrespective of major differences in habitat characteristics, changes in total abundances were small and the overall diversity and biomass of centipedes was similar in each of the systems investigated, suggesting that the number of ecological niches for this group of predators remains unchanged. By using stable isotope analysis (15N and 13C), we investigated trophic niche shifts of the centipede community; lower δ13C values of centipedes in oil palm plantations as compared to other ecosystems suggests that centipedes switch from decomposer prey to other prey, presumably understory associated herbivores, due to reduced availability of litter associated prey species. The results suggest that the ability to utilize alternative prey is a key feature enabling invertebrate predators to persist in ecosystems undergoing major structural changes due to anthropogenic land use change.

Feeding Rate of Soil Animals in Different Ecosystems in Pati, Indonesia

The feeding activity of soil animals was measured by using bait lamina test in three main ecosystems, i.e. the teak forest, home garden and rainfed paddy field. Two additional ecosystems in rainfed paddy field, i.e. the old (permanently established bund around paddy fields) and new bunds were examined as well. Three blocks of bait-lamina sticks (each block consisting of 16 individual sticks) were exposed at each location. The bait lamina were retrieved from the soil after two days and visually assessed. Each hole is designated as “fed” (perforated) or “non-fed” hole. The feeding rate is measured as the absolute number of “fed” holes. Soil animals in the old bunds showed the highest feeding activity (55.20%), followed by home garden (39.10%), rainfed paddy field (16.50%), teak forest (15.60%), and new bund (7.80%). The frequency of animals attack to the bait strips also indicated the similar pattern as their feeding activity, i.e. high in the old bunds (0.90), followed by home garden (0.70), teak forest (0.40), new bunds (0.40) and rainfed paddy field (0.30), respectively.

Study of Root Exudate Organic Acids and Microbial Populations in Palm Oil Seedling Rhizosphere

This research was completed using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. Field surveys were executed in sugar cane plantation throughout South Sulawesi Indonesia. Land suitability analyses were performed using a parametric approach with Storie’s index equation followed up with correlation analysis using the Pearson correlation. Results revealed that the period for sugarcane crop growth in the humid tropic relatively dry regions of South Sulawesi Indonesia lasted for the months of November to July. The land suitability for sugar cane in the research location was moderately suitable (S2c) and marginally suitable (S3c, S3s, S3s,f and S3c,w) with limiting factors such as relative humidity during crop maturation phase, the duration of sunlight, soil depth, soil texture, soil pH and soil drainage. Land suitability index at the research location ranged from 25.2 to 55.0; sugar cane yields ranged from 30.3 to 62.0 Mg ha year. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) between LSI with cane and sugar productivity were 0.81 and 0.84 respectively, signifying the strength of the correlation between the two values. This also indicates that land suitability index can be estimating the potential crop yield in the humid tropicsthat relatively dry climate regions.Field experiment with a split plot design has been carried out in order to assess the growth characteristics and yields, and effectiveness of MVA upland rice which were given potassium fertilizer in two growing seasons. MVA inoculation consisted of three treatments (without MVA, Glomus sp. and Gigaspora sp.) while potassium fertilizer consisted of five levels (0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50 kg ha-1 K). The results showed that plant growth variable which was inoculated by MVA at any levels of K fertilizer was higher in the dry season than that in the wet season, whereas the opposite occurred for net assimilation rate. Potassium content of leaf tissue, shoot/root ratio, and grain weight per hill was determined and mutually dependent on genus MVA, dosages of K fertilizer, and growing season. Harvest index and grain dry weight per hill were influenced by the growing season and the genus MVA but the effect did not depend on each other. At all dosages of K fertilizer and any MVA genera, Gigaspora sp. inoculation was better than that of Glomus sp. Dry weight of grains per hill was affected by the contribution of grain content per hill, weight of 1000 grains and number of productive seedlings per hill. The optimum dosage of K fertilizer in the dry season was 32.4 kg ha-1 K with grain yield 3.12 Mg ha-1 for inoculation of Gigaspora sp., whereas the optimum dosage in the wet season was 34.2 kg ha-1 K for the treatment Glomus sp. inoculation with Gigaspora sp. in the wet season did not reach dosages of optimum K fertilizer. Keywords: Harvest index, MVA, potassium fertilizer, upland rice [ How to Cite : Natawijaya D. 2012. Increasing Growth and Yield of Upland Rice by Application of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae and Potassium Fertilizer. J Trop Soils 17 (1): 53-60. doi: 10.5400/jts.2012.17.1.53] [ Permalink/DOI: www.dx.doi.org/10.5400/jts.2012.17.1.53 ]This study aimed to examine Organonitrofos Plus fertilizer (OP) on sweet corn (Zea mays Saccharata L.) and its effect on changes in soil chemical properties of Ultisols. Organonitrofos Plus fertilizer is an enhancement of Organonitrofos fertilizer enriched with microbes at the beginning of the manufacturing process. Research was conducted in the greenhouse of Integrated Agricultural Laboratory of Lampung University. Treatment applied was a factorial of 4 t 2 t 3 with three replications in a randomized block design. The first factor was the dose of OP fertilizer (0, 10, 20, 30 Mg ha-1), the second factor was the dose of inorganic fertilizers (without inorganic fertilizers, and with inorganic fertilizers, namely Urea 0.44, 0.28 SP-36 and KCl 0.16 Mg ha-1), and the third factor was the dose of biochar (0, 10, 20 Mg ha-1). By a single OP fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, and the interaction between the OP and the inorganic fertilizers increased the weight of dry stover, cob length, cob diameter, cob with husk and cob without husk of corn. OP fertilizers which are applied in Ultisols can improve soil fertility and increase corn production so that OP fertilizer can lessen the use of inorganic fertilizer and can be used as a substitute for inorganic fertilizer. RAE values were highest in treatment of O4K2B2 (30 Mg OP ha-1, with inorganic fertilizer, 10 Mg biochar ha-1) that was equal to 181%, followed by O2K2B3 (10 Mg OP ha-1, with inorganic fertilizer, 20 Mg biochar ha-1 ) with the difference in RAE value of 0.5%.[How to Cite: Dermiyati, SDn Utomo,n KF Hidayat, J Lumbanraja, S Triyono, H Ismono, NEn Ratna, NT Putri dan R Taisa. 2016. Pengujian Pupuk Organonitrofos Plus pada Jagung Manis (Zea mays Saccharata. L) dan Perubahan Sifat Kimia Tanah Ultisols. J Trop Soils 21: 9-17 Doi: 10. 10.5400/jts.2016.21.1.9][Permalink/DOI: www.dx.doi.org/10. 10.5400/jts.2016.21.1.9]Coco rind is a waste that if not used can cause environmental problem around the plantation. One way to utilize cocoa rind is by making it into compost which can be used as organic fertilizer. Different planting distance will affect on the number of plant population per unit area and will indirectly affect the absorption of nutrients, water and other growth factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the utilization of compost from cacao rind waste on the growth of Saccarum edule Hasskarl plant with different planting distance. The design used was to factor randomized block design with 2 replications, then there are 18 treatment combinations. In this research, the first factor of cacao rind composts comparison with cow manure consisted of three levels, they are: P1 = 50 kg; 10 kg; P2 =50 kg: 30 kg; P3 = 50 kg: 50. While the second factor uses the planting distance which consisted of three levels, they are: J1= 100 cm X 150 cm; J2= 100 cm X 100 cm; J3= 100 cm X 50 cm. Based on the research results, it shows that the best treatment of cocoa rind compost and cow manure, which affects on the number of buds is treatment P3 on 5 WAP, while the best used for the plants’ height is P2 on 3 WAP, and the best used for the leaves’ length is treatment P2 on 2 to 4 WAP.

Studi Populasi Mikrob Fungsional pada Tanah Gambut yang Diaplikasikan Dua Jenis Pestisida

Ostrinia furnacalis is a corn stem-borer that develops complete metamorphosis and all stages in life cycle in corn. This research was aimed to examine several biology aspects of O. furnacalis such as life cycle, egg incubaton period, egg fertility, female fecundity, longevity of imago, and copulation time on artificial diet, based on the previous study. The results of the observations showed that the life cycle of artificial-diet-given O. furnacalis was between 27-34 days range. Female fecundity was 16-452 eggs with fertility rate of 61,97% and 3-5 days renge of egg incubation period. Longevity of imago was between 6-11 days range, and the longevity was longer in female compared to the male. The imago of O. furnacalis copulate on 0-3 days after emerge from pupae and the highest number in on the day 1. Copulation time was occurred at 3-8 hour after scotophase commenced and the highest was at third hour. The artificial diet used in this research can be used for O. furnacalis mass rearing purpose and performed shorter length of egg stage until pupal stage compared to mass rearing with natural diet.

DINAMIKA KELIMPAHAN ORIBATIDA PADA AREA PERKEBUNAN KELAPA SAWIT DI KECAMATAN BAJUBANG BATANGHARI JAMBI

Oribatids are one of the important fauna groups in the soil. They have an important role in the decomposition of organic matter in the soil. The objection of this research was to study population dynamics of Oribatids through determining the abundance and diversity of Oribatids and to know the effect of environmental factors on Oribatids in oil palm plantation at Bajubang, Batanghari, Jambi. Soil and litter samples were taken from four different locations (25 m x 25 m) and from each location three samples were taken from litter lanes and open lanes, respectively (the size was 16 x 16 cm with a depth of soil is 5 cm). The samples were extracted using Kempson extractor. Identification of Oribatids was done to the family level and the diversity of Oribatids was measured using Shannon’s diversity index. The population dynamic of Oribatids showed a fluctuation in the sampling period. When rainfall increased >200 mm did not follow by increasing abundance and diversity (number of the family) of Oribatid mites. When rainfall between 100 – 200 mm was the optimal condition for Oribatids so abundance and diversity (the number of the family) of Oribatids increased. But, when rainfall <100 mm especially in February 2014 (the lowest rainfall 1 mm), abundance and diversity (number of the family) of Oribatids was lowest (330 individual m-2; 7 families) compared to another month. It was assumed that Oribatids may migrate into the deep soil to avoid a harsh environmental condition. Abundance and diversity (number of the family) of oribatids were significantly higher in litter lanes (4,560 individual m-2; 25 families) than in open lanes (1,570 individual m-2; 14 families). The availability of litter in the litter lanes was higher than in open lanes. In this research, There are 3 families that most abundance and always found on the sampling period, they are Scheloribatidae, Mycobatidae and Galumniidae. Keywords: Abundance, diversity, oil palm plantation, Oribatids, soil fauna

The Diversity and Abundance of Springtail (Collembola) on Forests and Smallholder in Jambi

This research was completed using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. Field surveys were executed in sugar cane plantation throughout South Sulawesi Indonesia. Land suitability analyses were performed using a parametric approach with Storie’s index equation followed up with correlation analysis using the Pearson correlation. Results revealed that the period for sugarcane crop growth in the humid tropic relatively dry regions of South Sulawesi Indonesia lasted for the months of November to July. The land suitability for sugar cane in the research location was moderately suitable (S2c) and marginally suitable (S3c, S3s, S3s,f and S3c,w) with limiting factors such as relative humidity during crop maturation phase, the duration of sunlight, soil depth, soil texture, soil pH and soil drainage. Land suitability index at the research location ranged from 25.2 to 55.0; sugar cane yields ranged from 30.3 to 62.0 Mg ha year. Pearson correlation coefficient (r) between LSI with cane and sugar productivity were 0.81 and 0.84 respectively, signifying the strength of the correlation between the two values. This also indicates that land suitability index can be estimating the potential crop yield in the humid tropicsthat relatively dry climate regions.Field experiment with a split plot design has been carried out in order to assess the growth characteristics and yields, and effectiveness of MVA upland rice which were given potassium fertilizer in two growing seasons. MVA inoculation consisted of three treatments (without MVA, Glomus sp. and Gigaspora sp.) while potassium fertilizer consisted of five levels (0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50 kg ha-1 K). The results showed that plant growth variable which was inoculated by MVA at any levels of K fertilizer was higher in the dry season than that in the wet season, whereas the opposite occurred for net assimilation rate. Potassium content of leaf tissue, shoot/root ratio, and grain weight per hill was determined and mutually dependent on genus MVA, dosages of K fertilizer, and growing season. Harvest index and grain dry weight per hill were influenced by the growing season and the genus MVA but the effect did not depend on each other. At all dosages of K fertilizer and any MVA genera, Gigaspora sp. inoculation was better than that of Glomus sp. Dry weight of grains per hill was affected by the contribution of grain content per hill, weight of 1000 grains and number of productive seedlings per hill. The optimum dosage of K fertilizer in the dry season was 32.4 kg ha-1 K with grain yield 3.12 Mg ha-1 for inoculation of Gigaspora sp., whereas the optimum dosage in the wet season was 34.2 kg ha-1 K for the treatment Glomus sp. inoculation with Gigaspora sp. in the wet season did not reach dosages of optimum K fertilizer. Keywords: Harvest index, MVA, potassium fertilizer, upland rice [ How to Cite : Natawijaya D. 2012. Increasing Growth and Yield of Upland Rice by Application of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae and Potassium Fertilizer. J Trop Soils 17 (1): 53-60. doi: 10.5400/jts.2012.17.1.53] [ Permalink/DOI: www.dx.doi.org/10.5400/jts.2012.17.1.53 ]This study aimed to examine Organonitrofos Plus fertilizer (OP) on sweet corn (Zea mays Saccharata L.) and its effect on changes in soil chemical properties of Ultisols. Organonitrofos Plus fertilizer is an enhancement of Organonitrofos fertilizer enriched with microbes at the beginning of the manufacturing process. Research was conducted in the greenhouse of Integrated Agricultural Laboratory of Lampung University. Treatment applied was a factorial of 4 t 2 t 3 with three replications in a randomized block design. The first factor was the dose of OP fertilizer (0, 10, 20, 30 Mg ha-1), the second factor was the dose of inorganic fertilizers (without inorganic fertilizers, and with inorganic fertilizers, namely Urea 0.44, 0.28 SP-36 and KCl 0.16 Mg ha-1), and the third factor was the dose of biochar (0, 10, 20 Mg ha-1). By a single OP fertilizers, inorganic fertilizers, and the interaction between the OP and the inorganic fertilizers increased the weight of dry stover, cob length, cob diameter, cob with husk and cob without husk of corn. OP fertilizers which are applied in Ultisols can improve soil fertility and increase corn production so that OP fertilizer can lessen the use of inorganic fertilizer and can be used as a substitute for inorganic fertilizer. RAE values were highest in treatment of O4K2B2 (30 Mg OP ha-1, with inorganic fertilizer, 10 Mg biochar ha-1) that was equal to 181%, followed by O2K2B3 (10 Mg OP ha-1, with inorganic fertilizer, 20 Mg biochar ha-1 ) with the difference in RAE value of 0.5%.[How to Cite: Dermiyati, SDn Utomo,n KF Hidayat, J Lumbanraja, S Triyono, H Ismono, NEn Ratna, NT Putri dan R Taisa. 2016. Pengujian Pupuk Organonitrofos Plus pada Jagung Manis (Zea mays Saccharata. L) dan Perubahan Sifat Kimia Tanah Ultisols. J Trop Soils 21: 9-17 Doi: 10. 10.5400/jts.2016.21.1.9][Permalink/DOI: www.dx.doi.org/10. 10.5400/jts.2016.21.1.9]Coco rind is a waste that if not used can cause environmental problem around the plantation. One way to utilize cocoa rind is by making it into compost which can be used as organic fertilizer. Different planting distance will affect on the number of plant population per unit area and will indirectly affect the absorption of nutrients, water and other growth factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the utilization of compost from cacao rind waste on the growth of Saccarum edule Hasskarl plant with different planting distance. The design used was to factor randomized block design with 2 replications, then there are 18 treatment combinations. In this research, the first factor of cacao rind composts comparison with cow manure consisted of three levels, they are: P1 = 50 kg; 10 kg; P2 =50 kg: 30 kg; P3 = 50 kg: 50. While the second factor uses the planting distance which consisted of three levels, they are: J1= 100 cm X 150 cm; J2= 100 cm X 100 cm; J3= 100 cm X 50 cm. Based on the research results, it shows that the best treatment of cocoa rind compost and cow manure, which affects on the number of buds is treatment P3 on 5 WAP, while the best used for the plants’ height is P2 on 3 WAP, and the best used for the leaves’ length is treatment P2 on 2 to 4 WAP.