Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L)
Wisna Wulandari
1
, Sumono
1
, Nazif Ichwan
1
, Ruli Purnomo Wibowo
1
1
Agricultural Engineering Department, Agricultural Faculty, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, North Sumatera,
Indonesia
Keywords: Ultisol soil, texture, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, pakcoy
Abstract. Soil water avaibility is one of the important factors for plant growth. Field capacity can be de determined by
different methods.The objective of this research is to study the levels of field capacity by among methods at
Ultisol texture with different soil texture and a response of pakcoy growth. This research was initiated with
field capacity measurement with free drainage method 24 hours, free drainage 48 hours, and pressure plate at
different soil textures, i.e. sandy loam and sandy clay loam. Furthermore, pakcoy planting with different
watering treatment based on field capacity of each mentioned methods was carried out in greenhouse.
Parameters that measured such as soil texture, field capacity, and weight of pakcoy. The results showed that
field capacity on sandy loam (32,94%) was lower than sandy clay loam (35,78%). Measurement with free
drainage method 24 hours produced the highest field capacity (37,63%) among the pressure plate method
(33,39%) and free drainage method 48 hours (32,06%). Watering treatment based on field capacity of each
method at different soil texture have significantly affect on fresh weight and dry weight of steams and leaves,
and significantly affect on fresh weight of roots, and not significantly affect on dry weight of roots.
1 INTRODUCTION
Ultisol soil is marginal soil (Anikwe. 2015) and
usually used by rubber and palm oil plantation.
Ultisol soil has been used for horticultural cultivation
in green house laboratory but productivity is low.
Watering with different concentration affect bulk
density and particle density value (Sumono. 2018).
Availability of water is an important factor to
increasing yield production. Moisture and nutrition of
soil is affected by bulk density (Xu. 2016), particle
density (Martin. 2016; Schjonning. 2016) and soil
porosity (McGrath and Henry, 2016). Determination
of the field capacity water content (FC) needs to be
known. Several method that often can be used are free
drainage method and pressure plate method.
Field capacity water content also according to
texture of soil. ultisol soil as we know that consist of
various textures. Soil texture decided by soil fraction
such as sand, silt (loam) and clay. Soil particle and
pore structure affect the hydraulic properties of
unsaturated media, in example is soil water retention
(Ding. 2015). Therefore, the study about utilization
ultisol soil with different texture are needed to explain
characterize and the effect to horticulture crop, such
as pakcoy (Brassica rappa L).
The aims of this studies are to determine the field
capacity water content with different soil textures
using free drainage method and pressure plate
method; and effect of field capacity water content on
fresh weight and dry weight of Pakcoy (Brassica
rappa L).
2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
The material used in this study is the ultisol soil, it is
used as the object under study, chemical reagent,
pakcoy plant seeds as material to be planted in the
soil, water as an ingredient for watering, polybags as
a container for soil. The tools used in this study were
ring samples, ovens, digital scale, erlenmeyers,
pressure plates apparatus, 10 mesh sieves and glass.
This research method uses the experimental
method in the greenhouse and soil analysis is carried
out in the research and technology laboratory of the
North Sumatera University agricultural faculty and
the soil physics and environmental faculty of
agriculture. The study used a completely randomized
design with 6 treatment and 4 replications, they are
Sandy clay texture with free drainage method (24
hours), sandy clay texture with free drainage method
Wulandari, W., Sumono, ., Ichwan, N. and Wibowo, R.
Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L).
DOI: 10.5220/0010104401470151
In Proceedings of the International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches (ICOSTEERR 2018) - Research in Industry 4.0, pages
147-151
ISBN: 978-989-758-449-7
Copyright
c
 2020 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
147

(48 hours), sandy clay soils with pressure plate
method, sandy clay loam texture with free drainage
method (24 hours), sandy clay loam texture with free
drainage method (48 hours), sandy clay loam
texturewith pressure plate method.
Several parameters that can be measured are:
1. Soil texture which analyzed in laboratory
2. C-organic, total nitrogen (N-total), phosphorus
availability (P-av), and pH
3. Soil mass density
Soil mass density determined by :
(D
b
) =
Mp
v
t
……………….……………..(1)
Where : D
b
: soil mass density (g.cm
-3
); Mp : soil
compact mass (g); and V
t
: total volume
(cm
3
)
4. Soil particle density
Soil particle density determined by equation :
(P
b
) =
Mp
v
p
…………………………..(2)
Where : P
d:
soil particle density(g.cm
-3
); M
p :
soil
compact mass (g); and
V
p :
soil compact volume (cm
3
)
5. Porosity
Porosity determined by equation :
f =

1-
ρb
ρs

x 10…………………(3)
where: f : porosity (%); ρb
: soil mass density (g.cm
-
3
); and ρs : soil particle density (g.cm
-3
)
6. Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration determined by equation :
ET = (θxht)/T……………………..(4)
Where : ET : Evapotranspiration (cm.day
-1
); θ :
volumetric water content (%);
Ht : soil depth (cm); and T : time (day)
7. Field capacity water content (FC) with free
drainage and pressure plate method
8. Fresh weight and dry weight of pakcoy
according water treatment based on field
capacity water content (FC)
3 RESULT AND DISCUSSIOIN
3.1 Texture
Texture analysis from ultisol soil can be seen in figure
1.
Figure 1. soil textures of ultisol soil
Figure 1 shows that based on USDA, ultisol soil
texture consist of two types i.e. sandy loam and sandy
clay loam. Sandy loam texture have loam fraction
more than sandy clay loam texture, and content of
clay fraction as low as sandy clay loam texture. Sandy
loam texture is harder to water and nutrition holding
than sandy clay loam texture, therefore, plants will
more easily utilize water and nutrients in sandy loam
texture. It will affect physiology of plant, where leaf
chlorophyll can be used as an indicator of stress
(McGrath and Henry, 2016)
3.2 C-organic, Phosphorus Availability
(P-av), Total Nitrogen (N-total), pH
Measurement result of C-organic, phosphorus, total N ,
pH of soil can be seen in table 1.
Table 1 shows that Ultisol soil have P-av, N-total,
and C-organic are very low. Ultisol soil formed by
degradation land that has low leached, reduce K-
exchange, soil going to acid and Al, Fe, Mn toxic,
whereas macro essential soil increase. Generally, N-
total and C-organic on sandy clay loam higher than
sandy loam, whereas phosphorus low. it has been
caused by sandy clay loam texture pH higher than
sandy loam texture. pH have big impact to P retention
i.e. pH increasing will decrease P retention. Land use,
process, fertilization, compaction can changes
chemical, physical and soil biological (Gao Lu.
2014).
3.3 Bulk Density, Particle Density and
Porosity
Bulk density, particle density and porosity performance
can be seen on below (table 2).
Based on table 2, bulk density of sandy loam
texture is bigger than sandy clay loam. Soil with high
total pore have low trend bulk density, whereas soil
with macro pore size causing as big as bulk density.
Bulk density is one of important parameter use to
calculate organic carbon soil, as a basic of physics
ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches
148

soil (Xu. 2016). Organic matter content also affect
bulk density. C-organic on soil with sandy loam is
lower than sandy clay loam. Organic matter will
decrease bulk density. Particle density values vary
across soil types and regions. Particle density
decrease while organic matter content as increase as
sand particle (Schjonning. 2016).
Table 1. C-organic, P-av, N-total, pH of soil
Parameters Uni
t
Value Grade
Sandy loam
Phosphorus (P-av) Pp
m
2.27 Ver
y
low
N
itro
g
en (N-total) % 0.02 Ver
y
low
C-or
g
anic % 0.26 Ver
y
low
Or
g
anic matte
r
% 0.45 Ver
y
low
p
H - 5.82 Aci
d
Sandy clay loam
Phosphorus (P-av) Pp
m
2.10 Ver
y
low
N
itro
g
en (N-total) % 0.02 Ver
y
low
C-or
g
anic % 0.28 Ver
y
low
Or
g
anic matte
r
% 0.48 Ver
y
low
Ph - 5.85 Aci
d
Table 2. Bulk density, particle density and porosity
3.4 Evapotranspiration
Evpotranspiration measurements result can be seen in
table 3.
Table 3 shows that evapotranspiration value in
middle phase and final phase are same in sandy loam
texture and decrease for final phase in sandy clay
loam texture. For the all, there are no gap
evapotranspiration value both of textures. the justify
of evapoptranspiration sandy loam texture as same as
sandy clay loam texture.
3.5 Field Capacity Water Content Both
Free Drainage and Pressure Plate
Method
Measurements result from field capacity water content
(FC) both sandy loam and sandy clay loam texture on
below (table 4).
Based on the table 4. FC average value in sandy
clay loam (35,78%) bigger than sandy clay soil. It is
caused by water holding capacity is bigger than sandy
clay soil. Measurement by 24 hours drainage method
generates the highest average (35,33%) field capacity
water content. Between pressure plate method
(33,39%) and 48 hours drainage method (32,06%).
Soil in free drainage method thicker than pressure
plate method, so the water in free drainage method is
not easily lost compared with soil water in pressure
plate method.
Field capacity water content in pressure plate
method sandy clay soil generates bigger value than
48 hours free drainage method. It is because sandy
clay soil has rough texture with short time drainage,
which decreasing water capacity very sharp in first
day (24 hours) till second day (48 hours). Rough
texture soil has dominant macro pore (drainage pore)
causes drainage process in high water level condition
is faster. Relationship between soil particle and pore
structure in its role to detect groundwater is
important. Soil structure is one of soil quality
indicator, affects the hydraulic properties of
unsaturated media, in example is soil water retention.
soil pores structure affected by compact phase soil
(Ding. 2015).
Texture
Bulk density
(
g
.cm
-3
)
Particle density
(
g
.cm
-3
)
Porosity (%)
Sand
y
Loa
m
1.19 2.60 53.23
Sand
y
Cla
y
Loam 1.10 2.36 53.39
Effect of Ultisol with Different Texture for Pakchoy (Brassica rapa L)
149

Table 3. Evapotranspiration value from soil
Growth phase Temperature (
o
C) Evapotranspiration (ETc) (mm.da
y
-1
)
Sand
y
loam Sand
y
cla
y
loam
mi
d
d
le (25-33 d.a.p) 30.58 2.4 5.8
final (34-42 d.a.p) 30.72 2.4 5.6
Table 4. Field capacity water content (FC)
Measurement Method Soil texture Average
Sand
y
loam (%) Sand
y
cla
y
loam (%)
Free draina
g
e 24 hours 35.33 39.93 37.63
Free draina
g
e 48 hours 29.20 34.91 32.06
Pressure plate 34.28 32.49 33.39
Avera
g
e 32.94 35.78
3.6 Fresh Weight and Dry Weight of
the Pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.)
Water content of field capacity on various soil
textures measured by different method gives a very
significant influence on the fresh weight of the
pakcoy and its dry weight. The result showed that the
effect of various soil textures with different moisture
content method on the wet weight of the stem and
leaves for each treatment can be seen in the table 5.
Table 5 shows that FC water content on various
textures measured by different methods have
significantly effect on stems and leaves fresh weight
of pakcoy and significant different on root. FC water
content on various textures measured by different
methods have significantly effect on stems and leaves
dry weight of pakcoy and not significant different on
root. Overall, weight of Pakcoy still under the
standard from ministry of agriculture, Republic of
Indonesia. Fertilizer application is needed for
cultivation process and also about management
practical impact and environmental in soil quality
change (Gao Lu. 2014).
4 CONCLUSION
From the research we can concluded:
1. Textures of ultisol soils are Sandy loam and
sandy clay loam
2. P-av, N-total, C-organic, Organic matter in
Sandy loam are very low as same as sandy clay
loam. pH are acid both of them.
3. Bulk density and particle density in sandy loam
texture are bigger than sandy clay loam texture,
whereas reverse for porosity
4. FC water content sandy clay loam is bigger than
sandy clay texture
5. Evapotranspiration in sandy loam 2.4 mm.day
-1
and in sandy clay loam is 5.6-5.8 mm.day
-1
6. FC water content on variuous textures measured
by different methods have significantly effect on
stems and leaves fresh weight of pakcoy and
significant different on root
7. FC water content on variuous textures measured
by different methods have significantly effect on
stems and leaves dry weight of pakcoy and not
significant different on root
Table 5. Fresh weight and dry weight of Pakcoy
Textures Field capacity measure
methods
Fresh Wei
g
ht (
g
r) Dr
y
Wei
g
ht (
g
r)
Steams and
leaves
Root Steams and
leaves
Root
Sandy loam
Free drainage 24 hours 12.75
aA
0.84
aA
0.83
aA
0.08
aA
Free drainage 48 hours 9.00
abAB
0.55
abAB
0.55
bAB
0.06
abA
Pressure plate 6.25
bcB
0.40
bAB
0.41
bB
0.05
abA
Sandy clay
loam
Free drainage 24 hours
5.25
bcB
0.39
bAB
0.39
bB
0.04
abA
Free drainage 48 hours 3.50
cB
0.33
bB
0.32
bB
0.02
bB
Pressure plate 3.00
cB
0.24
bB
0.26
bB
0.02
bB
ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramification Researches
150

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This research was supported and founded by
Institution of Research Universitas Sumatera Utara
by TALENTA Grand Universitas Sumatera Utara
2018. Thanks to Rector, head of LP and staf, and all
of participant whom supported this research.
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