ABSTRACT
Enhancing maize yield and fertilizer efficiency in tidal swamp lands by employing biostimulants

Mukhlis Mukhlis1*, Etty Pratiwi1*, Eni Maftuah1, Siti Nurzakiah1, Syaiful Asikin1, Nur Wakhid2, Yuli Lestari3, Askif Pasaribu4, 5, and Rusmila Agustina1
 
Tidal swamp lands in Indonesia, despite their low productivity, hold significant potential for improving maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation and food security. Biostimulants derived from plants, animals, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can enhance productivity and maize yields. Notably, rice husk ash (RHA), rich in silica, and golden apple snail (GAS; Pomacea canaliculata, Lamarck, 1822), containing amino acids, offer growth-promoting benefits. This study examines the impact of liquid RHA, GAS, and microbial inoculant (PGPR) on maize yield in acid sulphate soils from Barambai District, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. A randomized complete block design was used to test nine treatments, including a control (no NPK or biostimulants), full NPK, 75% NPK, and six biostimulant formulations (B1 to B6) combining RHA, GAS, and PGPR with 75% NPK. Biostimulants with more than 50% GAS extract significantly improved maize growth and yield while reducing NPK fertilizer use by 25%. Specifically, biostimulant formulations B1 (10% RHA, 80% GAS, 10% PGPR), B2 (20% RHA, 70% GAS, 10% PGPR), and B3 (30% RHA, 60% GAS, 10% PGPR), combined with 75% NPK, produced 126.0, 125.0, and 111.0 g plant-1, respectively, compared to 97.67 g plant-1 with full NPK. This suggests that biostimulants can reduce fertilizer use without sacrificing yield. The results highlight the role of amino acids in GAS extract for enhancing maize productivity. Biostimulants, particularly those rich in GAS extract, show promise in increasing maize grain yield and reducing reliance on inorganic fertilizers. Further field testing in real-world tidal swamps is needed to validate these findings.
Keywords: Biostimulants, golden apple snail, grain yield, PGPR, Pomacea canaliculata, rice husk ash, Zea mays.
1National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong Science Center-Botanical Garden, Research Center for Food Crops, Bogor Regency, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia.
2National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong Science Center-Botanical Garden, Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, Bogor Regency, Cibinong 16911, Indonesia 16911.
3Indonesia Swampland Agriculture Standardization Institute, South Kalimantan, Banjarbaru 70714, Indonesia.
4Djuanda University, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Regency, Ciawi 16720, Indonesia. 5R&D Category Lead, PT, UPL Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia.
*Corresponding author (mukh016@brin.go.id; ettypratiwi@yahoo.com).