Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L)

Wisna Wulandari

, Sumono

, Nazif Ichwan

, Ruli Purnomo Wibowo

Agricultural Engineering Department, Agricultural Faculty, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, North Sumatera,

Indonesia

Keywords: Ultisol soil, texture, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, pakcoy

Abstract. Soil water avaibility is one of the important factors for plant growth. Field capacity can be de determined by

different methods.The objective of this research is to study the levels of field capacity by among methods at

Ultisol texture with different soil texture and a response of pakcoy growth. This research was initiated with

field capacity measurement with free drainage method 24 hours, free drainage 48 hours, and pressure plate at

different soil textures, i.e. sandy loam and sandy clay loam. Furthermore, pakcoy planting with different

watering treatment based on field capacity of each mentioned methods was carried out in greenhouse.

Parameters that measured such as soil texture, field capacity, and weight of pakcoy. The results showed that

field capacity on sandy loam (32,94%) was lower than sandy clay loam (35,78%). Measurement with free

drainage method 24 hours produced the highest field capacity (37,63%) among the pressure plate method

(33,39%) and free drainage method 48 hours (32,06%). Watering treatment based on field capacity of each

method at different soil texture have significantly affect on fresh weight and dry weight of steams and leaves,

and significantly affect on fresh weight of roots, and not significantly affect on dry weight of roots.

1 INTRODUCTION

Ultisol soil is marginal soil (Anikwe. 2015) and

usually used by rubber and palm oil plantation.

Ultisol soil has been used for horticultural cultivation

in green house laboratory but productivity is low.

Watering with different concentration affect bulk

density and particle density value (Sumono. 2018).

Availability of water is an important factor to

increasing yield production. Moisture and nutrition of

soil is affected by bulk density (Xu. 2016), particle

density (Martin. 2016; Schjonning. 2016) and soil

porosity (McGrath and Henry, 2016). Determination

of the field capacity water content (FC) needs to be

known. Several method that often can be used are free

drainage method and pressure plate method.

Field capacity water content also according to

texture of soil. ultisol soil as we know that consist of

various textures. Soil texture decided by soil fraction

such as sand, silt (loam) and clay. Soil particle and

pore structure affect the hydraulic properties of

unsaturated media, in example is soil water retention

(Ding. 2015). Therefore, the study about utilization

ultisol soil with different texture are needed to explain

characterize and the effect to horticulture crop, such

as pakcoy (Brassica rappa L).

The aims of this studies are to determine the field

capacity water content with different soil textures

using free drainage method and pressure plate

method; and effect of field capacity water content on

fresh weight and dry weight of Pakcoy (Brassica

rappa L).

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

The material used in this study is the ultisol soil, it is

used as the object under study, chemical reagent,

pakcoy plant seeds as material to be planted in the

soil, water as an ingredient for watering, polybags as

a container for soil. The tools used in this study were

ring samples, ovens, digital scale, erlenmeyers,

pressure plates apparatus, 10 mesh sieves and glass.

This research method uses the experimental

method in the greenhouse and soil analysis is carried

out in the research and technology laboratory of the

North Sumatera University agricultural faculty and

the soil physics and environmental faculty of

agriculture. The study used a completely randomized

design with 6 treatment and 4 replications, they are

Sandy clay texture with free drainage method (24

hours), sandy clay texture with free drainage method

Wulandari, W., Sumono, ., Ichwan, N. and Wibowo, R.

Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L).

DOI: 10.5220/0010104401470151

In Proceedings of the International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramiﬁcation Researches (ICOSTEERR 2018) - Research in Industry 4.0, pages

147-151

ISBN: 978-989-758-449-7

147

(48 hours), sandy clay soils with pressure plate

method, sandy clay loam texture with free drainage

method (24 hours), sandy clay loam texture with free

drainage method (48 hours), sandy clay loam

texturewith pressure plate method.

Several parameters that can be measured are:

1. Soil texture which analyzed in laboratory

2. C-organic, total nitrogen (N-total), phosphorus

availability (P-av), and pH

3. Soil mass density

Soil mass density determined by :

) =

……………….……………..(1)

Where : D

: soil mass density (g.cm

-3

); Mp : soil

compact mass (g); and V

: total volume

(cm

)

4. Soil particle density

Soil particle density determined by equation :

) =

…………………………..(2)

Where : P

soil particle density(g.cm

-3

); M

p :

soil

compact mass (g); and

p :

soil compact volume (cm

)

5. Porosity

Porosity determined by equation :

f =



ρb

ρs



x 10…………………(3)

where: f : porosity (%); ρb

: soil mass density (g.cm

); and ρs

: soil particle density (g.cm

-3

)

6. Evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration determined by equation :

ET = (θxht)/T……………………..(4)

Where : ET : Evapotranspiration (cm.day

-1

); θ :

volumetric water content (%);

Ht : soil depth (cm); and T : time (day)

7. Field capacity water content (FC) with free

drainage and pressure plate method

8. Fresh weight and dry weight of pakcoy

according water treatment based on field

capacity water content (FC)

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSIOIN

3.1 Texture

Texture analysis from ultisol soil can be seen in figure

Figure 1. soil textures of ultisol soil

Figure 1 shows that based on USDA, ultisol soil

texture consist of two types i.e. sandy loam and sandy

clay loam. Sandy loam texture have loam fraction

more than sandy clay loam texture, and content of

clay fraction as low as sandy clay loam texture. Sandy

loam texture is harder to water and nutrition holding

than sandy clay loam texture, therefore, plants will

more easily utilize water and nutrients in sandy loam

texture. It will affect physiology of plant, where leaf

chlorophyll can be used as an indicator of stress

(McGrath and Henry, 2016)

3.2 C-organic, Phosphorus Availability

(P-av), Total Nitrogen (N-total), pH

Measurement result of C-organic, phosphorus, total N ,

pH of soil can be seen in table 1.

Table 1 shows that Ultisol soil have P-av, N-total,

and C-organic are very low. Ultisol soil formed by

degradation land that has low leached, reduce K-

exchange, soil going to acid and Al, Fe, Mn toxic,

whereas macro essential soil increase. Generally, N-

total and C-organic on sandy clay loam higher than

sandy loam, whereas phosphorus low. it has been

caused by sandy clay loam texture pH higher than

sandy loam texture. pH have big impact to P retention

i.e. pH increasing will decrease P retention. Land use,

process, fertilization, compaction can changes

chemical, physical and soil biological (Gao Lu.

2014).

3.3 Bulk Density, Particle Density and

Porosity

Bulk density, particle density and porosity performance

can be seen on below (table 2).

Based on table 2, bulk density of sandy loam

texture is bigger than sandy clay loam. Soil with high

total pore have low trend bulk density, whereas soil

with macro pore size causing as big as bulk density.

Bulk density is one of important parameter use to

calculate organic carbon soil, as a basic of physics

ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramiﬁcation Researches

148

soil (Xu. 2016). Organic matter content also affect

bulk density. C-organic on soil with sandy loam is

lower than sandy clay loam. Organic matter will

decrease bulk density. Particle density values vary

across soil types and regions. Particle density

decrease while organic matter content as increase as

sand particle (Schjonning. 2016).

Table 1. C-organic, P-av, N-total, pH of soil

Parameters Uni

Value Grade

Sandy loam

Phosphorus (P-av) Pp

2.27 Ver

low

itro

en (N-total) % 0.02 Ver

low

C-or

anic % 0.26 Ver

low

anic matte

% 0.45 Ver

low

H - 5.82 Aci

Sandy clay loam

Phosphorus (P-av) Pp

2.10 Ver

low

itro

en (N-total) % 0.02 Ver

low

C-or

anic % 0.28 Ver

low

anic matte

% 0.48 Ver

low

Ph - 5.85 Aci

Table 2. Bulk density, particle density and porosity

3.4 Evapotranspiration

Evpotranspiration measurements result can be seen in

table 3.

Table 3 shows that evapotranspiration value in

middle phase and final phase are same in sandy loam

texture and decrease for final phase in sandy clay

loam texture. For the all, there are no gap

evapotranspiration value both of textures. the justify

of evapoptranspiration sandy loam texture as same as

sandy clay loam texture.

3.5 Field Capacity Water Content Both

Free Drainage and Pressure Plate

Method

Measurements result from field capacity water content

(FC) both sandy loam and sandy clay loam texture on

below (table 4).

Based on the table 4. FC average value in sandy

clay loam (35,78%) bigger than sandy clay soil. It is

caused by water holding capacity is bigger than sandy

clay soil. Measurement by 24 hours drainage method

generates the highest average (35,33%) field capacity

water content. Between pressure plate method

(33,39%) and 48 hours drainage method (32,06%).

Soil in free drainage method thicker than pressure

plate method, so the water in free drainage method is

not easily lost compared with soil water in pressure

plate method.

Field capacity water content in pressure plate

method sandy clay soil generates bigger value than

48 hours free drainage method. It is because sandy

clay soil has rough texture with short time drainage,

which decreasing water capacity very sharp in first

day (24 hours) till second day (48 hours). Rough

texture soil has dominant macro pore (drainage pore)

causes drainage process in high water level condition

is faster. Relationship between soil particle and pore

structure in its role to detect groundwater is

important. Soil structure is one of soil quality

indicator, affects the hydraulic properties of

unsaturated media, in example is soil water retention.

soil pores structure affected by compact phase soil

(Ding. 2015).

Texture

Bulk density

(

.cm

-3

)

Particle density

(

.cm

-3

)

Porosity (%)

Sand

Loa

1.19 2.60 53.23

Sand

Cla

Loam 1.10 2.36 53.39

Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L)

149

Table 3. Evapotranspiration value from soil

Growth phase Temperature (

C) Evapotranspiration (ETc) (mm.da

-1

)

Sand

loam Sand

cla

loam

le (25-33 d.a.p) 30.58 2.4 5.8

final (34-42 d.a.p) 30.72 2.4 5.6

Table 4. Field capacity water content (FC)

Measurement Method Soil texture Average

Sand

loam (%) Sand

cla

loam (%)

Free draina

e 24 hours 35.33 39.93 37.63

Free draina

e 48 hours 29.20 34.91 32.06

Pressure plate 34.28 32.49 33.39

Avera

e 32.94 35.78

3.6 Fresh Weight and Dry Weight of

the Pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.)

Water content of field capacity on various soil

textures measured by different method gives a very

significant influence on the fresh weight of the

pakcoy and its dry weight. The result showed that the

effect of various soil textures with different moisture

content method on the wet weight of the stem and

leaves for each treatment can be seen in the table 5.

Table 5 shows that FC water content on various

textures measured by different methods have

significantly effect on stems and leaves fresh weight

of pakcoy and significant different on root. FC water

content on various textures measured by different

methods have significantly effect on stems and leaves

dry weight of pakcoy and not significant different on

root. Overall, weight of Pakcoy still under the

standard from ministry of agriculture, Republic of

Indonesia. Fertilizer application is needed for

cultivation process and also about management

practical impact and environmental in soil quality

change (Gao Lu. 2014).

4 CONCLUSION

From the research we can concluded:

1. Textures of ultisol soils are Sandy loam and

sandy clay loam

2. P-av, N-total, C-organic, Organic matter in

Sandy loam are very low as same as sandy clay

loam. pH are acid both of them.

3. Bulk density and particle density in sandy loam

texture are bigger than sandy clay loam texture,

whereas reverse for porosity

4. FC water content sandy clay loam is bigger than

sandy clay texture

5. Evapotranspiration in sandy loam 2.4 mm.day

-1

and in sandy clay loam is 5.6-5.8 mm.day

-1

6. FC water content on variuous textures measured

by different methods have significantly effect on

stems and leaves fresh weight of pakcoy and

significant different on root

7. FC water content on variuous textures measured

by different methods have significantly effect on

stems and leaves dry weight of pakcoy and not

significant different on root

Table 5. Fresh weight and dry weight of Pakcoy

Textures Field capacity measure

methods

Fresh Wei

ht (

r) Dr

Wei

ht (

Steams and

leaves

Root Steams and

leaves

Root

Sandy loam

Free drainage 24 hours 12.75

0.84

0.83

0.08

Free drainage 48 hours 9.00

abAB

0.55

abAB

0.55

bAB

0.06

abA

Pressure plate 6.25

bcB

0.40

bAB

0.41

0.05

abA

Sandy clay

loam

Free drainage 24 hours

5.25

bcB

0.39

bAB

0.39

0.04

abA

Free drainage 48 hours 3.50

0.33

0.32

0.02

Pressure plate 3.00

0.24

0.26

0.02

ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramiﬁcation Researches

150

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was supported and founded by

Institution of Research Universitas Sumatera Utara

by TALENTA Grand Universitas Sumatera Utara

2018. Thanks to Rector, head of LP and staf, and all

of participant whom supported this research.

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