From Practice to Science: Assessment Soil Nutrient Status Using “Minus One Element Technique (MOET)” for Early Growth of Maize

Soil nutrient deficiency will influence maize growth, so it is necessary to add nutrients based on the fertility status of the soil. One way to find out the nutrient soil status using a simple method is using the minus one element technique (MOET). The minus one element technique (MOET) determines which element is the limiting factor. This study was carried out to confirm the nutrient soil status using the minus one element technique (MOET) with the early growth of maize as the indicator. The research was conducted in greenhouse, Polytechnic of Lamandau, Central Borneo, Indonesia, at an altitude of 50 m above sea level. The research used a non-factorial design arranged in a completely randomized block design and five fertilizer treatments based on the minus one element technique consisting of control (without fertilization), PK, NP, NK, and NPK with three replications. The results showed that the deficiency of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus reduced the growth of maize, leaf greenness, photosynthetic rate, and especially the total dry weight of the plant. The dry weight of maize roots decreased by 18.85% - 75.47% when N, P, and K fertilizer were not applied. Then the decrease in photosynthesis rate ranged from 18.23% to 46.21% when N, P, and K fertilizer were not applied. The low of photosynthesis rates resulted in the accumulation of plant dry weight was hampered, and there was a decrease of 8.00% -74.43%. The results of the evaluation of fertility status are based on the results of the relative dry weight of the plant, which was