Soil chemical Fertility for maize in Tibawa, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Ferawati Bano; Zulzain Ilahude; Nurmi; Rida Iswati; Laode Muhamad Irsan

doi:10.63922/ijeter.v4i01.3042

Ferawati Bano Undergraduate Program in Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Zulzain Ilahude Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Nurmi Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Rida Iswati Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Laode Muhamad Irsan Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijeter.v4i01.3042

Keywords: maize; soil fertility; chemical soil properties; exchangeable potassium; Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

This study evaluated the chemical status of soils under maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation in Tibawa

Subdistrict, Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia, to identify fertility constraints and inform site-specific

management. A field survey was conducted in May 2025 at three villages (Isimu Utara, Datahu,

and Iloponu). At each site, ten subsamples from the 0–20 cm plough layer were composited and

analysed for soil pH (H2O and KCl), organic carbon, total nitrogen (Kjeldahl), available phosphorus

(Bray I), exchangeable potassium (NH4OAc), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Results indicated

slightly acidic to neutral soils (pH 6.3 - 6.9) with moderate CEC (16.72 - 22.32 cmol(+)/kg). Organic

carbon ranged from low to moderate (1.42 - 2.51%). Available P was consistently moderate

(12.04–14.72 ppm), whereas exchangeable K was low across all sites (0.19 - 0.24 cmol(+)/kg).

Total N varied from low in Isimu Utara (0.13%) to moderate in Datahu and Iloponu (0.24 - 0.26%).

The primary limitations for maize production were low K availability and, locally, low N and

organic matter. Management should prioritize organic amendments, balanced NPK fertilization

based on soil testing, and periodic liming where acidification trends emerge. These findings

provide a baseline for future monitoring of soil quality and developing recommendations to

sustain maize yields while reducing nutrient losses under intensive management in Tibawa.

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