Pelita Perkebunan (a Coffee and Cocoa Research Journal)

The The Utilization of Cocoa Pod Husk-Based Compost Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Soil Chemical Properties and Nutrient Uptake of Coffee Plants

Andrian Perdana — 2025-12-31

Sustainable waste management and the preservation of soil health represent critical challenges in intensive coffee and cocoa plantation. Composting offers an effective approach for sustainable waste management by enhancing soil health, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) optimize nutrient uptake (NU) efficiency
in coffee plants. This research aimed to investigate the effect of cocoa pod huskbased compost inoculated with AMF on soil chemical properties and NU in coffee plants. This research employed a completely randomized design with two factors. Factor I consisted of three compost doses: K0 (no compost), K1 (15% compost,
w/w), and K2 (30% compost, w/w). Factor II comprised three levels of AMF: F0 (no AMF), F1 (15 g polybag
-1 ), and F2 (30 g polybag -1 ). Compost application significantly enhanced soil nutrient levels of N, P, K, C-organic, and CEC, as well as improved the uptake of N, P, and K by coffee plants. Similarly, AMF significantly increased soil P levels and P uptake by coffee plants. The combined application of compost and AMF further contributed to an increase in soil P availability. The K1F1 treatment (15% compost and 15 g AMF polybag -1 ) was the most effective in optimizing nutrient turnover, as indicated by the highest uptake of N (33.48 g plant -1) and P (1.37 g plant -1), which contributed to enhance plant performance. According to nutrient availability classification, this treatment supplied sufficient soil N (0.36%) and soil organic C (SOC) (2.54%). However, excessive N and SOC induces antagonistic interactions, compromising the efficient uptake of P and K, while deficiencies constrain overall nutrient acquisition.

Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Across Different Agroforestry Systems in Coffee-Based Land Use: A Case Study in Malang, Indonesia

Andrian Perdana — 2025-12-31

Agroforestry systems have garnered significant attention for their potential in enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, particularly in coffee plantations. The different shading conditions not only diversifies production but also plays a crucial role in soil health and carbon sequestration. The study aimed to investigate the SOC stocks under various coffee-based agroforestry systems. Four different shading conditions have been examined, namely: A (unshaded), B (Leucaena leucocephala shade), C (Pinus sp. shade), and D (complex agroforestry). The results were analyzed descriptively by comparing the influence of varying shading conditions in enhancing SOC stocks. The results indicated that complex agroforestry had the highest SOC (1.33%), followed by L. leucocephala shade (1.20%), unshaded (1.02%), and Pinus sp. shade (0.96%). In the complex
agroforestry system, the diversification of plant species increases soil organic matter (SOM) and root biomass, thus improve SOC. Meanwhile, the Pinus sp. shade exhibited the lowest SOC due to the lower quality of its resistant litter. The complex agroforestry also recorded the highest SOC stocks (42.7 t C ha -1), followed by unshaded (39.9 t C ha -1), L. leucocephala shade (38.3 t C ha -1), and Pinus sp. shade (30.5 t C ha-1). The SOC stocks in the unshaded system exceeded those under L. leucocephala shade due to higher bulk density resulting from the absence of complex root systems. Moreover, the complex agroforestry exhibited elevated levels of soil N, P, K, and CEC. These findings implied that complex agroforestry system represents a multifaceted approach to enhance SOC stocks and soil health in coffee plantation.

Effects of Morphological Age and Indole-3-Butyric Acid Concentration on Rooting of Selected Robusta Coffee Varieties

Godfrey H. Kagezi — 2025-12-31

In response to the outbreak of Coffee Wilt Disease (CWD) which wiped out almost 50% of Robusta coffee in Uganda, the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) released 10 varieties (KR1-10) which are resistant to the disease. These varieties are being multiplied by stem cuttings for commercialization, although some of them present challenges in rooting. Research shows that rooting ability of stem cuttings is a function of the variety, their morphological status and rooting hormone used, among other factors. We therefore conducted an on-station study to determine the effect of morphological age of the stem cuttings and Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA) rooting hormone concentration on the rooting ability of varieties, KR1, KR3 and KR4. A factorial experiment with three stem segments with differing morphological age (softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood) and five IBA concentrations (0, 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10g/l) was set up for each variety in a completely randomized design and replicated five times. Results showed that the number of roots produced by stem cuttings varied significantly (p?0.05) across varieties and IBA concentration level but not the morphological age of the cuttings. The highest number of roots was recorded on variety KR4, (35.3), 2 g/l of IBA (31.5) and softwood cuttings (29.1). Furthermore, the number of roots produced by stem cuttings varied significantly (P<0.00001) across combinations of factors. The highest number of roots was recorded on softwood treated with 10 g/l of IBA rooting hormone for KR1, hardwood cuttings treated with 2 g/l of IBA for KR3 and softwood cuttings treated with 2 g/l of IBA for KR4. Our findings provide a guide on variety-specific approaches for enhancing rooting ability of stem cuttings of these CWD-r Robusta coffee varieties. We therefore recommend that similar studies be conducted on variety, KR8 which also has been recently reported for challenges of rooting of its stem cuttings.