Effect of Bioameliorant Formulations on Growth and Yield of Corn–Soybean Intercropping on Suboptimal Land

Suboptimal land in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia, has considerable potential for agricultural development, but its productivity is constrained by low organic matter content, limited nutrient availability, and poor soil water retention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different bioameliorant formulations on the growth and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) grown under an intercropping system on suboptimal land in North Lombok. The study employed a randomized block design with five treatments: F0 (control), F1, F2, F3, and F4, with three replications per treatment. Plant height, leaf count, stover dry weight, soil total nitrogen (N), accessible phosphorus (P), soil organic carbon (C), plant uptake of N and P, mycorrhizal population and colonization, and yield components were all observed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the least significant difference (LSD) test at the 5% significance level were used to evaluate the data. The greatest reported grain yields, 21.20 kg/plot for maize and 0.73 kg/plot for soybeans, were obtained by F4, which was composed of 25% compost, 25% manure, 25% rice husk charcoal, and 25% mycorrhizal biofertilizer. These results imply that when corn and soybeans are interplanted on less-than-ideal ground, the F4 formulation may increase crop productivity. However, the statistical significance of differences between treatments should be reported to establish whether the observed yield improvements were statistically significant.