Kurniawan Riau Pratomo, Suwardi Suwardi, Darmawan Darmawan

THE INFLUENCE OF SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER UREA-ZEOLITE-HUMIC ACID (UZA) TO PADDYS PRODUCTIVITY VARIETY CIHERANG

Introduction

The influence of slow release fertilizer urea-zeolite-humic acid (uza) to paddys productivity variety ciherang. Discover how Slow Release Fertilizer (UZA) with urea, zeolite & humic acid enhances Ciherang paddy productivity. Learn optimal dosage (1% humic acid) and application methods for improved growth.

Abstract

Slow Release Fertilizer (SRF) is a modification fertilizer which aims to improving subtances efficiency on fertilizers by organizing the release slowly or gradually. The methods which used to made a SRF has any variety such as enlarging size, smoothing fertilizer surface, mixing with another difficult soluble materials, and covering fertilizer with certain ingredients so releasing fertilizer under soil more slowly. Some materials can be used as SRF materials are zeolite and humic acid. Zeolite is a silicate mineral which have a high cation exchange capacity (CEC) (varying between 80-180 meq/100g), fit hollow space to ammonium ion size so it have high adsorption capacity to ammonium ion. Meanwhile, humic acid which extracted from inorganic materials has a high CEC too. In this study, urea fertilizer has easily lost characteristics because of leaching and evaporation was conducted by covering zeolite and humic acid. The study aimed to find a proper dosage from combinations of urea, zeolite, and humic acid (UZA) for the paddy and to find proper applications of UZA for paddy. The experiment was conducted in green house with paddy variety Ciherang as an indicator plant. Paddy was fertilized with a standard dosage of N fertilizer from UZA with humic acid value of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%. UZA fertilizer can improving paddy growth and productivity. UZA fertilizer with 1% humic acid dose is a the best dosage for paddy. The spread distribution of UZA was better than buried on the mud.

Review

This study presents a timely and relevant investigation into the development and application of a novel slow-release fertilizer (SRF) formulation, urea-zeolite-humic acid (UZA), aimed at enhancing paddy productivity. The overarching goal of improving fertilizer use efficiency is critical for sustainable agriculture, particularly for nitrogen-based fertilizers like urea, which are prone to significant losses through leaching and evaporation. The abstract clearly outlines the rationale for UZA by leveraging the high cation exchange capacity of zeolite and humic acid, thus addressing a major challenge in nutrient management for staple crops like rice. Methodologically, the study adopts a greenhouse approach to evaluate different dosages of UZA, specifically varying humic acid content (0-5%), on Ciherang paddy variety. This controlled environment allows for a focused assessment of the UZA's direct influence on plant growth and productivity. The utilization of zeolite and humic acid as encapsulating or binding agents for urea is scientifically sound, drawing upon their known properties for nutrient retention. The reported findings, that UZA can improve paddy growth and productivity, with a 1% humic acid dose being optimal, and that surface spreading is more effective than burying, provide valuable preliminary insights into the potential of this fertilizer. While the greenhouse setting offers a controlled environment for initial screening, it inherently limits the generalizability of the findings to diverse field conditions. Future research should critically focus on validating these promising results through extensive field trials, considering varied soil types, climatic conditions, and different paddy varieties. Further mechanistic studies elucidating the precise nutrient release patterns of UZA in soil and its long-term effects on soil health would also significantly strengthen the scientific contribution. Despite these considerations for future work, the study offers a compelling foundation for the development of an effective slow-release urea formulation, marking an important step towards more efficient and sustainable paddy cultivation.

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