The Growth and Yield of Four Soybean Varieties in Coastal Land Under Various Doses of Vermicompost

A scarcity of productive land for agricultural cultivation constraints increasing soybean production in Indonesia. Coastal land is the potential for the agricultural area to increase soybean production. However, Soybean cultivation in coastal lands is hindered by low soil fertility. To enhance soybean yield in coastal regions, vermicomposting and growing superior varieties of soybeans is promising. This study aimed to discover the best cultivars and vermicompost doses for soybean growth and yield in a coastal area. The study was conducted from July to November 2020 at 2 m above sea level in Lempuing Village, Kuala Alam, Ratu Agung SubDistrict, Bengkulu City, Indonesia. The experiment used a Completely Randomized Block Design (RCBD) with two factors. The first factor was soybean varieties, which included the soybean cultivar of Detap 1, Devon 1, Gepak Kuning, and Dering 1. The second factor was the vermicompost dose, consisted of control (no vermicompost), vermicompost at 5, 10, and 15 ton/ha. The experiment showed that the Devon 1 variety fertilized with vermicompost at 5 tons/ha exhibited the longest soybean harvest time, followed by the Gepak Kuning variety fertilized with vermicompost at 10 ton/ha. The highest soybean yields were produced from the Gepak Kuning variety, followed by Dering 1, Detap 1, and Devon 1. Applying vermicompost prolongs the harvest time for soybeans grown in coastal areas.