Management Of Soil In Coconut Based Farming System
Management of soil in coconut based farming system is discussed with an apporach to the kind of soil needed by the coconut pi ant, the soil characterstics of the poly-cultured coconut land site, the factors influence the soil management and the soil management itself. In Indonesia the coconut is grown in a variety of soil texture, range from the soil with the sand content of 88% to the soil with clay content of 76%. It is observed that the soil nutrient content in usually lower than the optimum need for the coconut plant. The cropping combination under the coconut plantation hope to be able to increase the soil characteristics, especially the soil nutrient and the organic material and improving the soil topography as well. Introducing the cropping combination and the soil cultivation should be done in such a way of not destroying the root system of the coconut plant. On the land site of poor drainage, the "Surjan system" (Sunken and rise bad system) seem to be better practiced but on a pit soil the land site need to be stuffed up. In the sloping area the soil conservation needs to be taken into consideration while weeding is of less important in poly-cultured system.