Effects of manure and liquid organic fertilizer from onion peel waste on the growth and yield of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. saccharata)
Keywords:
liquid organic fertilizer, manure, onion peel waste, sweet cornAbstract
Sweet corn is a high-value horticultural crop that responds strongly to organic nutrient management. This study evaluated the effects of manure type, the concentration of liquid organic fertilizer from onion peel waste (POC), and their interaction on sweet corn grown in Inceptisol field soil at Kwala Bekala, Medan Johor, North Sumatra. The experiment was conducted from March to June 2026 using a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The first factor was manure type: no manure (K0), chicken manure 2 kg/plot (K1), cattle manure 2 kg/plot (K2), and goat manure 2 kg/plot (K3). The second factor was onion peel POC concentration: no POC (P0), 250 ml/L (P1), and 500 ml/L (P2). The observed variables were plant height, stem diameter, cob length, cob diameter, and yield weight per plant. Manure significantly affected plant height and had a highly significant effect on stem diameter, cob diameter, and yield weight. Onion peel POC had a highly significant effect on stem diameter, cob diameter, and yield weight. The interaction significantly affected plant height, stem diameter, and cob diameter and had a highly significant effect on yield weight. K2P2 produced the tallest plants, largest stem diameter, and largest cob diameter, whereas K3P1 produced the highest yield weight (261.00 g/plant), a 72.85% increase over the untreated control (K0P0, 151.00 g/plant). Thus, 2 kg/plot of goat manure combined with 250 ml/L of onion peel POC is recommended to improve sweet corn yield.
References
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2025). Pada 2024, luas panen jagung pipilan mencapai 2,55 juta hektare. Produksi jagung pipilan kering dengan kadar air 14 persen pada 2024 sebanyak 15,14 juta ton. https://www.bps.go.id/.
Celano, R., Docimo, T., Piccinelli, A. L., Gazzerro, P., Tucci, M., Di Sanzo, R., Carabetta, S., Campone, L., Russo, M., & Rastrelli, L. (2021). Onion Peel: Turning a Food Waste into a Resource. Antioxidants, 10(2), 304. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10020304
Diacono, M., & Montemurro, F. (2010). Long-term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 30(2), 401–422. https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009040
Ernis, G., Mala, D. S., Okta, A., Notriawan, D., & Fadila, M. A. (2023). Nutrition Levels of Liquid Organic Fertilizer from Onion Skin (Allium cepa. L) with EM-4 Bioactivator. Sains Natural: Journal of Biology and Chemistry, 13(2), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.31938/jsn.v13i2.468
Gumilang, B. C. A., Syamsiyah, J., Faiz, M. Z. H., Pamungkas, A. F., Elena, A., Akmam, R. D., Ramadhani, M. P., Fatikha, Z. A., & Nisa, Z. K. (2025). Response of Sweet Corn Growth, Yield, and Soil Chemical Properties to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Application in Alfisols. Acta Solum, 4(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.20527/actasolum.v4i1.3488
Hua, W., Luo, P., An, N., Cai, F., Zhang, S., Chen, K., Yang, J., & Han, X. (2020). Manure application increased crop yields by promoting nitrogen use efficiency in the soils of 40-year soybean-maize rotation. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 14882. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71932-9
Hussain, A., Arshad, M., Ahmad, Z., Ahmad, H. T., Afzal, M., & Ahmad, M. (2015). Potassium Fertilization Influences Growth, Physiology and Nutrients Uptake of Maize (Zea Mays L.). Cercetari Agronomice in Moldova, 48(1), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1515/cerce-2015-0015
Li, S., Liu, Z., Li, J., Liu, Z., Gu, X., & Shi, L. (2022). Cow Manure Compost Promotes Maize Growth and Ameliorates Soil Quality in Saline-Alkali Soil: Role of Fertilizer Addition Rate and Application Depth. Sustainability, 14(16), 10088. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610088
Matondang, N. E., Marpaung, P., & Jamilah. (2014). The Calculations Of Formulae Structure Of Clay Minerals On Inceptisols At University Of North Sumatera Land, Kwala Bekala. Jurnal Online Agroekoteknologi, 2(2), 621–629.
Mukhlis, A., Fahri, R., & Khairani, S. (2024). Morphology of two varieties of sweet corn when applied with cow dung fertilizer. Contributions of Central Research Institute for Agriculture, 18(3), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.59651/cceria.v18i3.155
Pangaribuan, D. H., Sarno, Hendarto, K., Priyanto, Darma, A. K., & Aprillia, T. (2019). Liquid organic fertilizer from plant extracts improves the growth, yield and quality of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. saccharata). Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 42(3), 1157-1166.
Shah, N. M., Wright, D. L., Hussain, S., Koutroubas, S. D., Seepaul, R., George, S., Ali, S., Naveed, M., Khan, M., Tanveer Altaf, M., Ghaffor, K., Dawar, K., Syed, A., & Eswaramoorthy, R. (2023). Organic fertilizer sources improve the yield and quality attributes of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids by improving soil properties and nutrient uptake under drought stress. Journal of King Saud University - Science, 35(4), 102570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2023.102570
Sihite, E. A., Damanik, M. M. B., & Sembiring, M. (2016). Some Changes in Chemical Properties Land, P Absorption and Growth of Corn On Land Inceptisol Kwala Bekala Giving Due Chicken Manure and Multiple sources P. Jurnal Agroekoteknologi, 4 (3), 2082 - 2090.
Sofyan, E. T., & Sara, D. S. (2018). The Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Applications on N, P and K Uptake and Yield of Sweet Corn (Zea mays saccharata Sturt). JOURNAL OF TROPICAL SOILS, 23(3), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.5400/jts.2018.v23i3.111-116
Thenveettil, N., Reddy, K. N., & Reddy, K. R. (2024). Effects of Potassium Nutrition on Corn (Zea mays L.) Physiology and Growth for Modeling. Agriculture, 14(7), 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14070968
Xu, J., Li, Y., & Li, L. (2025). A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Health and Fertility: Mechanisms, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture. Agronomy, 15(12), 2705. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122705
Zhang, Q., Kong, Y., Masabni, J., & Niu, G. (2024). Onion Peel Waste Has the Potential to Be Converted into a Useful Agricultural Product to Improve Vegetable Crop Growth. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17694-24
