Respon Tanaman Kacang Hijau (Vigna radiata L.) yang Menggunakan Mulsa Organik di Lahan Kering

Abstract

Dryland agriculture faces major challenges, particularly limited water availability and low soil fertility. One approach to improving mung bean production is the use of organic mulch, which is expected to help retain soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and, over time, decompose to contribute nutrients to the mung bean crop. This study aimed to evaluate the response of green bean (Vigna radiata L.) plants to the use of organic mulch on dryland soil. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three treatments (rice straw, lemongrass, and banana pseudostem), each replicated nine times. The results showed that the application of organic mulch significantly enhanced plant growth and productivity. Among the treatments tested, lemongrass mulch provided the best results in terms of vegetative growth and grain yield. These findings indicate that organic mulch application is an effective and sustainable practice for increasing green bean production on dryland soils.  Green bean production increased by 39.94% with lemongrass plant mulch and by 23.33% with banana pseudostem mulch compared to rice straw mulch.