Soil quality status under Hazton’s paddy farming: A case study in Banyumas Regency, Indonesia

Soil quality is the ability of the soil to perform its function, such as providing nourishment to the plants. However, intensive paddy farming, such as Hazton’s paddy farming method, is suspected to deteriorate soil quality status and degrade land sustainability. This study aimed to analyze soil quality under Hazton’s paddy farming. This study was conducted on paddy fields in Banyumas Regency using a randomized block design with treatment consisting of 1) conventional method as a control, 2) Hazton’s method + organic fertilizer, 3) Hazton’s method + organic fertilizer + decomposer, and 4) Hazton’s method + organic fertilizer + decomposer + leaf fertilizer. Soil quality was determined according to a minimum data set (MDS) that consisted of organic C, pH, total N, available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), base saturation (BS), cation exchange capacity (CEC), bacterial density, soil respiration, and C/N ratio. The MDS was scored and calculated using the soil quality index formula and then classified from very low to very high (