Post-Reclamation of Mount Semeru Pyroclastic Materials using Adaptive Vegetation and Indigenous Microbes: Increasing Main Macronutrients to Enhance Red Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) Yield

Sri Rahayu Utami; Putri Shalina Landa; Juniar Annisa Salsabillah; Gabryna Auliya Nugroho; Nina Dwi Lestari; Georona Kusma Albarki; Novandi Rizky Prasetya

doi:10.20961/carakatani.v41i4.118425

Abstract

Mount Semeru’s frequent eruptions produce pyroclastic materials that are initially infertile and structurally unstable, creating major constraints for ecosystem recovery and agricultural productivity. The integration of adaptive vegetation and the indigenous microbial consortium was attempted to improve the fertility of pyroclastic materials for red chili cultivation. A randomized complete block design was applied with 2 factors: adaptive vegetation species (Napier grass, Vetiver grass, Centrosema sp., and Indigofera sp.) and microbial consortium (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus megaterium). In 1 year, the vegetation was pruned quarterly, and its biomass was returned to the pyroclastic materials. After one-year reclamation, red chili was planted, and the main macronutrients (C, N, P, K), plant uptake, and yield were measured. One-year reclamation significantly improved these macronutrients, with organic C and total N increasing from 0.12 to 0.15–0.60% and from 0.001 to 0.02–0.05%, respectively. However, the organic C and total N remained very low. Available P increased from 11.80 to 36.51–133.28 mg kg⁻¹, while exchangeable K showed an irregular pattern (0.66 to 0.17–0.59 cmol kg⁻¹). This improvement was likely due to vegetation rather than microbes. Red chili in the Napier grass showed the highest nutrient uptake (N = 606.88; P = 1,386.36; K = 463.17 mg plant⁻¹), dry biomass (92.91 g plant⁻¹), and yield (13.14 to 13.45 tons ha⁻¹). Centrosema sp. treatments showed limited fertility improvement and the lowest yield (4.06 to 5.15 tons ha^-1). This bioreclamation strategy represents a sustainable framework for restoring nutrient-depleted pyroclastic materials and enhancing agricultural recovery on post-eruption land. Persistently low total N indicates that sustained organic matter inputs remain necessary to overcome N limitation in subsequent cropping seasons.

Keywords

bioreclamation; crop production; nutrient uptake; soil fertility; volcanic materials

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References

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