Intercropping Twice of Corn with Cassava to Supply the Feed of Biomass in Eastern Mount Kawi of Malang Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Three treatments were tested with four replications at RCBD, namely cassava monoculture, corn twice under cassava intercropping, and corn with corn monoculture where the second corn was planted 5 days after harvested. Planting distance of cassava in monoculture was 100x100 cm, and in intercropping was 200x50 cm, by which corn was planted in 50x30 cm, 1 seed per hole. All plots received dairy cattle manure 5 t ha-1. Fertilizer applied for cassava was Urea 100 kg ha−1, Ponska 200 kg ha−1 and KCl 100 kg ha−1 split into two applications two weeks after cassava planting, then when first of corn was harvested. Corn fertilization was Ponska 150 kg ha−1 + Urea 100 kg ha−1 every 3 months and split into two applications: 1 week and 4 weeks after corn was planted. Cassava and twice corn fertilization was Urea 300 kg ha−1 + Phonska 400 kg ha−1 + KCl 100 kg ha−1. Results showed that cassava monoculture can be improved by inserting of twice corn in between rows. Under sole cropping cassava, the B/C ratio was the highest 1.61, however with incorporating twice of corn the B/C ratio was 1.58. Intercropping cassava and twice of corn resulted in the Land Equivalent Ratio 2.146. By intercropping cassava with corn twice at the end of dry season, there was an opportunity to find corn biomass for dairy cattle. Under intercropping, cassava was able to produce 21.5 t ha−1 of fresh roots, while first and second of corn produced fresh biomass of 34 t ha−1 and 28 t ha−1 respectively.