Application of Mycorrhiza Biofertilizer to Increase Growth and Yield of Mungbean Grown following Paddy Rice during the Dry Season under Different Plant Spacing

ABSTRACT: In irrigated rice fields, secondary crops such as maize and pulse crops are usually grown during the dry season after harvest of paddy rice. One of the obstacles to the production of legume crops following paddy rice in the dry season is low P availability in addition to growth disturbances due to dry weather with low nighttime but high daytime temperatures. Purpose: This research aimed to examine the effects of mycorrhiza biofertilizer in increasing yield of mungbean grown following paddy rice in the dry season under two planting densities. Methods: The experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mataram, which is located in Narmada (West Lombok, Indonesia), from May to July 2023, which was arranged according to the Randomized Complete Block Design with six blocks and two treatment factors. The first factor was mungbean plant spacing (S1= 25x20 cm; S2= 35x20 cm) and the second one was application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer (M0= without; M1= with biofertilizer). Results: The results indicated that the application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer significantly increased yield and yield components of mungbean, both per clump and per m2, in which the average grain yield was higher in the M1 (7.42 g/clump or 124.28 g/m2) than in the M0 treatment (4.76 g/clump or 78.59 g/m2). Based on the patterns of the interaction effects, the increase in AMF spore count due to the application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer was higher in S2 than in S1 treatment, whereas the increase in mungbean grain yield per m2 was higher in S1 (72.06%) than in S2 treatment (45.59%). Conclusion: The plant density of mungbean grown following paddy rice during the dry seasons can be increased if mycorrhiza biofertilizer is applied to increase yield of the mungbean plants.