Improvement of Soil Quality through Minimum Tillage for Sen Cropping Pattern in Indonesia

There have not been sufficient studies on Sen cropping patterns, a system of planting several food crops in one planting hole. A study to examine the effectiveness of minimum tillage on the Sen cropping pattern, concerning the soil quality improvements and their effects on crop productivity, was conducted on a field plot. The tillage treatment consisted of minimum planting with planting hole sizes of 20x20x20 cm, 30x30x20 cm and 40x40x20 cm, including one control planting hole. A total of 36 planting holes were tested. Improvement of soil physical-chemical properties was measured by comparing the measurements results at initial soil conditions and at 14 days after planting. The results showed that the 20x20x20 cm hole treatment was able to improve the physical-chemical quality of the soil with the best value compared to other treatments. The optimum improvement of soil quality to increase plant productivity was achieved at 40x40x20 cm hole treatment.