Chicken Manure and KCL Effect on Growth and Yield of Sweet Corn in Ultisol

Cultivation of sweet corn in Ultisols faces problems due to the poor quality of the soil. As a result, it is necessary to improve soil fertility through fertilization. Chicken manure can improve the fertility of Ultisol. However, it is a prolonged-release fertilizer, so it should be applied in conjunction with readily available fertilizers to plants, such as KCl. This study aimed to determine the effect of the dose of chicken manure and KCl on the growth and yield of sweet corn. The study was carried out between April and June 2019 in Medan Baru, Kandang Limun Village, Bengkulu, Indonesia. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two factors. The first factor was the dose of chicken manure (20% moisture content), consisting of 3 levels, namely 0, 10, and 20 tons/ha. The second factor was the dose of KCl, which consists of 3 levels, namely 100, 150, and 200 kg/ha. The result indicated no interaction effect of chicken manure and KCl on sweet corn growth and yield. Likewise, sweet corn growth was affected by chicken manure. At a 10 t/ha dose, chicken manure increased plant height, shoot fresh and shoot dry weight. A 150 kg/ha of KCl resulted in higher plant height, shoot fresh weight, and unhusked cob weight than a 100 kg/ha.