Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

SOIL ANALYSIS AS AN INDICATOR OF SOIL FERTILITY CONTAMINATED WITH PLASTIC WASTE IN THE CITY OF KEFAMENANU

Hermina Manlea and Yohana Ivana Kedang

Abstract

The profile of semi-arid soil fertility is important in agriculture because it is the main medium in farming. The disposal of plastic waste continuously and excessively will be able to cause changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil which will eventually cause the soil to become critical. One effort to determine the level of soil fertility is through the diagnosis of nutrients in the soil. The purpose of this study was to determine the parameters of soil fertility in semi-arid land in the city of Kefamenanu. This goal is achieved through taking and testing 3 (three) soil samples taken from 3 different land points. The parameters tested include texture of 3 fractions, pH, Organic C; P available, N total, K available, and cation exchange capacity. Based on these parameters then the properties of the soil are analyzed to determine the fertility level. The results showed that sample soil taken from land covered with organic waste contained the highest nutrients which can be seen from the results of the analysis of normal pH parameter. The results of the determination of C organic soil levels at the study location from each point are classified as very low with values ranging from 0.01 - 0.02. The results of measurements of soil pH (H2O pH) in the three study sites showed neutral. The results of P total in the 3 points showed that plastic waste contaminated land has a very low value of phosphate. Distribution of N-total in these points is low to moderate. Cation exchange capacity of the 3 soil samples are low to moderate.