Growth and Yield of Rice Plant by the Applications of River Sand, Coconut and Banana Coir in Ustic Endoaquert

The research aimed to study effect the application of river sand (RS), coconut coir (CC), and banana coir (BC) on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Ustic Endoaquert. The research was carried out in a green house using 3 × 3 × 3 factorial design. The RS factor consists of three treatment levels which were 0% RS, 25% RS, and 50% RS. Meanwhile, the CC and BC consist of three treatment levels, where each level were 0 Mg ha-1, 10 Mg ha-1 and 20 Mg ha-1. The results showed that RS, CC and BC applications did not have significant effect on plant height. On the other hand, all ameliorant applications had significantly increase leaf length and the highest percentage increasing was in BC (13.49%). The leaf numbers and tiller numbers had relatively similar pattern, except BC that had significantly increased leaf numbers by 77.69% and amount of tiller numbers by 49.45%. Furthermore, for yield components, RS, CC and BC applications had significant increased panicle numbers by 37.76%. It was only RS and BC that increased panicle lenght and the best increasing of 26.82% on RS. Meanwhile, the BC application only increased the rice grain numbers.[How to Cite: Nurdin and F Zakaria. 2013. Growth and Yield of Rice Plant by the Applications of River Sand, Coconut and Banana Coir in Ustic Endoaquert. J Trop Soils, 18 (1): 25-32. doi: 10.5400/jts.2013.18.1.25][Permalink/DOI:www.dx.doi.org/10.5400/jts.2013.18.1.25]

INTRODUCTION reached 68,956,292 Mg (BPS RI 2012) or equivalent to 37 million Mg of rice (Suswono 2012). Sudaryatno et al. (2010) predicted that the need of national rice in 2015 as many as 35,123,000 Mg and 37,021,000 Mg in 2020, or an average rate of rice consumption increasing 0.92% per year. Viewing statistics in 2012, it is apparently still a surplus as much as 3-4 million Mg of rice at this time. Although the current national rice need was adequate and surplus, but considering Indonesia's populations that were about 247 million and the increasing rate of population growth, it needs to be maintained and improved availability, one through the increasing productivity of paddy soil.
Rainfed paddy soil (RPS) is ecosystems which water source are dominantly from rain and as second national rice sources after paddy soil which coverages 2.1 million ha (Toha and Pirngadi 2004). In Paguyaman, Gorontalo province, RPS areas are dominantly classified as Vertisol soil that developed from lacustrine deposition materials (Hikmatullah et al. 2002;Prasetyo 2007;Nurdin 2011). From chemically aspect, Vertisol is classified as nutrientrich soil that has high nutrient sources (Deckers et al. 2001). However, the physical properties are limiting factor for the plant growth which are heavy clay texture, swelling and shrinking properties, lowest water infiltration, and slow drainage (Mukanda and Mapiki 2001). As a result, it has stunted plant growth and low yield. It is necessary to repair these properties by giving ameliorant materials.
Sand is one type of the ameliorant materials that can be applied to high clay soils. Ravina and Magier (1984); Narka and Wiyanti (1999) showed that application of the sand had significantly effect to decline COLE value, soil plasticity index, and soil permeability become large, but the water content availability was low. However, paddy soil cultivation requires medium permeability with sufficient water content, so it needs another ameliorant to fix these properties, such as by using coconut coir and banana coir. Coconut coir (CC) has been used as water storage on farms (Subiyanto et al. 2003), while the banana coir (BC) is still relatively underused. Though BC absorption is relatively high when it is dried because it has pores that are interconnected (Indrawati 2009). Applications of the three ameliorant materials were allegedly able to mutually improve soil physical and chemical properties of Vertisol under rice cultivation on RPS, so that productivity can be improved. This study aimed to determine the response of plant growth and yield components with RS, CC, and BC application in Ustic Endoaquert.

Study Sites
The experiment was conducted in the green house of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty of Gorontalo State University starting in April-August 2012. Meanwhile, the growing media was taken from the Vertisol with Ustic Endoaquert sub groups (Table 1).

Coconut and Banana Coir Preparation
Materials were obtained from the dried coconut husk that was surrounded the coconut shell inside. Coconut husk was peeled and separatly from coconut shell, and then a smooth outer skin was peeled again until remaining coconut coir (CC).
Furthermore, CC was milled to 1 mm. Banana coir (BC) materials were obtained from dried banana bark. Banana bark was peeled and separated from the trunk up to 10 sheets of rods into the core of the BC. Furthermore, the banana peel was grounded into powder with a size of 0.05 mm. The CC and BC obtained were weighed according to the dosage of each treatment. Before application, the water absorption capacity (WAC) of CC and BC were tested through immersion. Immersion was used to determine the maximum WAC of the ameliorant material. Calculation of WAC followed the equation:

Rice Planting and Maintainance
Before planting, a basicstarter fertilizer was weighed. Fertilizers used consisted of 125 kg Urea ha -1 which were given twice at ages 0 day after planting (DAP) and 60 DAP, respectively as much as 62.5 kg ha -1 each. Meanwhile, SP36 fertilizers in the amount of 100 kg ha -1 were given twice at age 0 DAP and 60 DAP, respectively as much as 50.0 kg ha -1 each, whereas KCl fertilizers in the amount of 50 kg ha -1 were given twice at ages 0 DAP and 60 DAP respectively as much as 25 kg ha -1 each.
A Ciherang rice seed variety that was used was tested its quality by soaking in saline solution, then planted in trays which were covered by leaves and soil media containing organic material with a ratio of 1:1 until 10 days. A day before planting, the planting medium was watered so that compounds which were toxic to rice seedlings moved down to the bottom of the pot. Rice seeds that had been 10 days aged were transferred into the plant growing media. Planting was done in the planting hole as deep as 8 cm. At planting time, it was followed by the application of basic fertilizers as much as half of the total dose of fertilizer. During the growth and development of plants, the maintenance performed was weeds clearing, watering at 30 DAP and 60 DAP, and subsequent fertilization at age 60 DAP. Harvesting was done when the plants had been aged less than 115 days after planting. Observations of plant growth components were plant height, leaf length, leaf number, and tiller numbers. Meanwhile, the observations of yield components were panicle length, panicle number, and rice grain numbers.

Statistical Analysis
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for factorials design were done to study the growth and yield response of rice plants due to application of ameliorant materials. If there was a significant effect, then it was continued by the least significant difference (LSD) test at 5% level.

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties
Soil physical and chemical properties of the soil at a depth of 0-20 cm are presented in Table 2

Growth Components of Rice Plant
The results of variance analysis for rice growth component on Ustic Endoaquert showed that river sand (RS), coconut coir (CC) and banana coir (BC) had not significantly effect to plant high (Table 3). However, each treatment had shown an increase in plant high. The highest plant height was shown by the application of 20 Mg ha -1 BC and had not significantly effect with other treatments. It seems that plant height was still lower than normal and it was in aggreement with Supriatno et al. (2007), plant heigh of Ciherang varieties were ranged from 107-115 cm.
The greatest increasing in plant height indicated that the application of 20 Mg ha -1 BC was able to increase plant height by 4.99%, while the lowest was shown on the application of 25% RS that was increased by 0.14% only. In the growth phase, especially plant height needs sufficient water availability. While, the water retention capabilities of sand was lower than CC and BC. Water shortages do not apparent at the beginning of the vegetative phase and it still can stimulate root development, but when this happens in the next vegetative phase, plant will be stunted (Sholeh and Riajaya 2000).
Water stress can reduce leaf area according to the speed of photosynthesis and allocation of assimilate from the canopy to the roots (Earl and Davis 2004). On the other hand, Berkelaar (2001) stated that aerobic soil conditions can make the plant roots get more oxygen, so the development is getting better, and in turn the plants will grow better and deliver optimal results. Furthermore, Yakup (2008) reported that plant height was significantly affected by soil water availability. In the water-saturated state, despite resistance by soil particles, no water can be absorbed by the soil except in certain plants such as paddy (Kasli and Effendi 2011).
Based on the test results of water absorption capacity (WAC) of both ameliorant showed that CC had a high WAC (71.77%), while BC was only 28.23%. Wuryaningsih et al. (2008) who conducted a study of growth Anthurium andraeanum in the pot by using coconut bulk media reported the physical properties were: a very high water content (1,314.41%), low-bulk density (0.09%), high total porosity (120.31%), and high pore water holding (116.6%). In addition, soil texture was classified as clay loamy (Table 2), so the soil puddling and flooding will become more easily dispersible and soil relatively compact (Isnaini and Suwarno 2005).
Then, application of RS, CC and BC had significant effect to leaf length (Table 3). The largest increasing of leaf length was shown on BC application as much as 20 Mg ha -1 (13.49%) and it  was significantly different with 10 Mg ha -1 application and control. While, the lowest was shown on the RS (1.08%) and did not significantly different with 50% RS and control. This suggests that the water availability becomes a dominant factor in rice cultivation. Effect of a turn single of water availability will reduce growth (Fazeli et al. 2007). Furthermore, Kasli and Effendi (2011) stated that the effects of water shortages on some physiological processes of plants were seen in a slow accumulation of dry matter, decreasing leaf expansion rate, and limiting stomata closure photosynthesis. In addition, short-term leaves and leaf area in plants were thought to be influenced by the intensity of the light received in green house where the research took place. The present of trees around the green house allegedly indirectly affected the reception of light by the plant, eventhough the distance was about 6 feet from the green house. Anggarwulan et al. (2008) stated that light played an important role in the physiological processes of plants, especially photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration. The plants required quite diverse intensity of light. The application of RS and CC did not have significantly effect to leaf numbers and tiller numbers, but had significant effect with BC (Table 3). Application of 20 Mg ha -1 BC had significantly increased to leaf numbers by 77.65% and has significantly increased tiller numbers by 49.45% compared to application of 10 Mg ha -1 BC and control. This is presumably due to the ability of BC to maintain soil moisture and water availability. Indrawati (2009) stated that the stem of BC is a strong fiber and resistant to water. It also have pores that are interconnected, and when dry a material will be having absorption and high shelf. In addition, the growing media flooding as high as 5 cm was also associated in the formation of tiller numbers. This is in line with reports by Utomo and Rudi (2000) in Kasli and Effendi (2011) that the flooding up to approximately 3-5 cm above the ground was a condition that had been considered good for the formation of tillers and if in the high-growth phase the flooding increased more than 5 cm it would inhibit seedling establishment. The results are reinforced by reports Astuti (2010) that the tiller numbers produced from crops by flooding system more than the intermittent and kemalir system. However, in contrast with the results of Shi et al. (2002) that the maximum tillering growth phase, the highest tiller numbers were in on kemalir water management compared to intermittent and continuous flooding. According to Sumardi et al. (2007) that water use efficiency for rice cultivation without flooding condition was much as 19.581%, while with flooding continuously its efficiency was as much as 10.907% only. In this study also showed that the higher the plant will be followed by a greater tiller numbers. This is in contrast with the results of Aldi et al. (2004); Hartati and Suwarto (2004); Rahayu and Harjoso (2010) that the tiller numbers showing contrary to the values of plant height, where the higher tiller numbers the plant high was turning. Furthermore, Rahayu and Harjoso (2010) explained that according to the concept of source-sink, photosynthetic resulting plants will be distributed to all parts of the organ and a variety has the same capacity, so that when the distribution is much to the establishment of seedlings will be followed by low plant height, as well otherwise. Meanwhile, although it was not significantly affect to leaf number and tiller numbers, but giving 20 Mg ha -1 BC increased the leaf numbers by 11.23% and increased the tiller numbers by 13.42% compared to control. This is related to the ability to absorb water of BC is high, so that it will enough moisture and water availability. Ramesh et al. (2010) reported that combination application of soil and coconut coir as much as 4% showed changes in the nature of Catton black soil compactness better than control. In general, for all plant growth components based on the contributions of each ameliorant material can be prepared series as follows: BC > CC > RS.

Yield Components of Rice Plant
The analysis of variance for rice yield components on Ustic Endoaquert resulted that application of river sand (RS), coconut coir (CC) and banana coir (BC) had significantly increased panicle numbers of rice plants. It seems that the pattern of the percentage increase of the panicle numbers with RS and BC applications were relative similar, however the different between treatments increased the percentage figures. The application 50% RS had significantly increased the panicle numbers by 13.93% compared to control (0% RS), but it had not significantly different with 25% RS application. Level of soil sand fraction was 27% with clay loamy textures, so that the application of 50% RS fraction in the soil could reduce weight to light, particularly the declining of COLE index. Sand texture is very influential on the status and distribution of water, so affecting the root system and root depth (Walter et al. 2000;Oliver and Smettem 2002). Thus, the plant root system is not disturbed due to the possibility of soil cracking is not the case anymore, so the process of water and nutrients absorption can be better. Along with these, Cepy and Wangiyana (2011) stated that the ground state is a very hard and difficult to penetrate dense root cause soil aggregates and limit the exploration of the roots, and the roots may even be damaged. If power is hampered exploration roots, it will reduce the total root surface area that can be connected directly to the ground.
Then, application of 20 Mg ha -1 CC had significantly increased the panicle numbers by 17.30% compared to control (0 Mg ha -1 CC), but it had not significantly different than the panicle numbers with application as much as 10 Mg ha -1 CC. This is presumably related to soil water availability. The WAC level of CC is high and will be able to absorb and retain water availability in the soil, so that more BC will be followed by the greater panicle numbers. This is consistent with the statement Dachban (2012) that the rice shortage water for 4 days in the generative period and the next 2 weeks was a period that was sensitive to water shortages. Furthermore, he said that the yield components showed the most dramatic decline was the panicle numbers.
The highest increasing of panicle numbers had shown by application of as much as 20 Mg ha -1 BC that it significantly increased by 37.76% compared to control (0 Mg ha -1 BC), but it had not significantly different with 10 Mg ha -1 BC. This suggests that BC application is able to maintain the water availability due to the ability to absorb water is high. The BC rods quite strong and resistant to water, and has pores that are interconnected, and when dry a material will be having absorption and high shelf (Indrawati 2009). In addition, the RS and BC had significantly increased to panicle length, except the CC which did not significantly increase panicle length. The application of as 20 Mg ha -1 BC had significantly increased panicle length by 16.75% compared to control (0 Mg ha -1 BC) and by 15.49% compared to 10 Mg ha -1 BC. This is presumably related to the water availability of each treatment. The research results by Dachban (2012) showed that the panicle length at breast level 3 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm had decreased long paniclesby 0.77%, 5.80%, 45.10% respectively, due to the reduction in yield because to lack of water. In fact, the research results by Astuti (2010) showed that the panicle length and rice grain numbers were not affected by irrigation, but each variety had panicle length and rice grain numbers per panicle significantly different according to the genetic. Meanwhile, 20 Mg ha -1 BC had significantly increased the rice grain numbers by 61.85% compared to control and did not have significantly different with 10 Mg ha -1 BC (Table  4). Apparently, the longer panicles will be followed by a greater rice grain numbers. It is in line with the revelation Setiobudi et al. (2008) that the rice grain numbers was determined by the genetic properties of plants especially panicle length, tassel branch, and a differentiation rice grains.

CONCLUSIONS
The application of river sand, coconut coir, and banana coir did not have significant effect on plant height. On the other hand, all ameliorant applications had significantly increased leaf length with the highest increasing percentage of 13.49% in 20 Mg ha -1 BC application. The leaf numbers and tiller numbers were relatively similar pattern, but only banana coir application had significant by increased of 77.69% to leaf numbers and amount of 49.45% to tiller numbers. Furthermore, the application of banana coir had significant for increasing a panicle numbers up to 37.76% compared to control. It was only river sand and banana coir increased panicle length and the best increasing up to 26.82% compared to coconut coir applications and it was only banana coir increased the rice grain numbers.