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 20×20×20 cm, 30×30×20 cm and 40×40×20 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 20×20×20 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 40×40×20 cm hole treatment.