EFFECT OF RICE STRAW MULCH AND BIOFERTILIZER ON SOYBEAN (Glycine max L. Merr.) YIELD

Abstract

The use of straw mulch and biological fertilizer is expected to provide sufficient and balanced nutrients for the growth and yield of soybean plants. This study aims to determine the effect of the dose of rice straw mulch and biological fertilizer on the yield of Anjasmoro cultivar soybeans. The study was conducted from January to April 2025 in Rancaekek Kencana Village, Bandung Regency, with an altitude of around 700 m above sea level. The study used a randomized block design with two treatment factors and three replications. The first factor was the dose of straw mulch, consisting of three levels, namely 0, 2, and 4 tons/ha of rice straw mulch. The second factor was the dose of biological fertilizer consisting of four levels, namely 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg/ha of KCl. Observations were made on the yield components and the yield of soybeans. The results showed an interaction between the dose of rice straw mulch and the dose of biological fertilizer on the number of pods per plant, seed weight per plant, harvest index, and soybean seed weight per hectare, except for the weight of 100 seeds per plant. The best treatment was a dose of 4 tons/ha of rice straw mulch and 150 kg/ha of biofertilizer, with a yield of 2.18 tons of seeds per hectare at 14% seed moisture content.