Effectiveness of Arachis pintoi Karp. and Greg. as Biomulch to Control Weeds on Maize Cultivation

Weeds is one of the limiting factors in crop production that has significant effects, both economically and ecologically. Continuous use of herbicides increased the resistance of weeds to herbicides and causes chemical and biological soil degradation. The use of cover crops can be an alternative to environmentally friendly weed management. The objective of this research was to study the effectiveness of Arachis pintoi as biomulch in suppressing the growth and development of weeds. This experiment used nested-randomized block design with the first factor was the slope of land with 2 levels (flat and sloping lands) and the second factor was the types of mulch with 5 levels (without mulch without weeding, without mulch with weeding, plastic mulch, straw mulch and A. pintoi biomulch). The types of mulch factor nested on the slope of the land factor. The results showed that the use of A. pintoi biomulch suppressed the growth of weed more than 58% compared to the without mulch without weeding treatment. The study also showed that A. pintoi was effective in suppressing broadleaf and sedge weeds but not effective to suppress grass weeds. The use of A. pintoi biomulch by allowing the coverage of the entire soil surface suppressed the growth and yield of maize compared to the without mulch with weeding and straw mulch treatments.