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Soil & nutrition

Soil pH, manure and fertilizer. 20 practices across 14 crops.

Summary of cited sources. TERAknow summarises published guidance from the sources linked on each page. Recommendations are general, not guaranteed: results depend on your soil, climate and variety, so confirm with local extension staff or an agronomist before acting.

Banana · Pisang

Full banana guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Feed in split doses through the vegetative phase

    Apply heavy organic manure before planting, then split nitrogen and potassium into three doses in months 3, 5 and 7 rather than one large application.

    Technical detail
    • Basal: about 50 t/ha farmyard manure before the last harrowing.
    • Month 3: 100 g urea, 300 g superphosphate, 100 g muriate of potash per plant.
    • Month 5: 150 g urea, 150 g MOP and 300 g neem cake per plant. Month 7: 150 g urea and 150 g MOP.
    • Micronutrients: lime and magnesium sulphate in month 5; 0.5% zinc sulphate and 0.5% borax foliar sprays.
    • Doses are from a Tamil Nadu guide. Base local rates on a soil test.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Banana guide

Chili · Cabai

Full chili guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Plant on raised beds and correct acidity

    Chili does not tolerate flooding. Use raised beds on land that drains, and lime acidic soils before transplanting.

    Technical detail
    • Sarawak: beds 15 to 30 cm high, 1.0 to 1.2 m wide, 50 to 100 cm apart; dolomite at 100 to 200 g/m².
    • Balitsa (lowland system): beds 1.5 to 1.75 m wide with drains 0.5 to 0.6 m deep; lime 2 to 4 weeks before planting if pH is below 5.6.
    • Flat planting is acceptable only where the land never waterlogs.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Malaysia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Chili guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Basal manure plus regular side dressing

    Work in decomposed manure and a compound fertilizer before transplanting, then feed little and often while the crop is picking.

    Technical detail
    • Sarawak: 1 to 2 kg/m² well-decomposed chicken manure plus 30 g/m² NPK compound 1 to 2 weeks before transplanting; side dress 15 to 30 g per plant every 1 to 2 weeks until the crop ends.
    • Balitsa: TSP 150 to 200 kg/ha basal; urea, ZA and KCl split into thirds at 4, 7 and 10 weeks after planting.
    • Use fresh manure only after composting; adjust rates to a soil test.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Malaysia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Chili guide

Rubber · Karet

Full rubber guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Land prep & planting

    Prepare large pits with compost and rock phosphate

    Fill planting pits with topsoil and compost, and add rock phosphate because these acidic soils are often short of phosphorus.

    Technical detail
    • Pit size about 1 m³.
    • Per pit: 12 kg compost or farmyard manure and 120 g rock phosphate before planting.
    • Spacing on plains about 4.9 × 4.9 m (about 420 trees/ha); on hills 6.7 × 3.4 m (about 445 trees/ha).
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Rubber guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Immature growth

    Split fertilizer in two doses a year

    Feed young and tapped trees in two split doses timed with the rains, and correct magnesium where it is short.

    Technical detail
    • Tapped trees: NPK 10:10:10 at about 900 g per tree per year, in two doses.
    • Where magnesium is deficient, add 10 kg magnesium sulphate per 100 kg of mixture.
    • Timing in the guide follows the Indian monsoon; match it to local rainy seasons.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Rubber guide

Oil palm · Kelapa sawit

Full oil palm guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Mature palms

    Feed by the 4R rule: type, rate, time, place

    Fertiliser rates should replace what the harvest removes. PPKS estimates each tonne of fresh fruit bunches removes about 3 kg N, 4 kg K, 0.4 kg P and 0.6 kg Mg.

    Technical detail
    • PPKS: split rates above 2 kg per tree, and split urea above 1 kg per tree. Avoid heavy rain, waterlogged fields and very hot, dry spells.
    • Place compound and P, K and Mg fertilisers on the spread fronds; put urea and borate in the weeded circle. Keep dolomite at least one month apart from K fertiliser.
    • TNAU gives fixed per-palm schedules split into two doses a year. These are from one guide; base rates on soil and leaf analysis.
    Regions
    Indonesia · India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Oil palm guide
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Mature palms

    Spread empty fruit bunches one layer thick

    Empty fruit bunches (EFB) from the mill are rich in potassium and add organic matter. In a 15-year Riau trial, topsoil organic carbon was higher under EFB than under fertiliser alone.

    Technical detail
    • Smallholder handbook: 30 to 40 t/ha can replace K, P, Mg and B fertiliser for about a year, but keep applying N. PPKS gives 35 to 40 t/ha for estates, 70 to 80 t/ha on sandy soils and as little as 10 t/ha for smallholders. Adjust to a soil test.
    • Lay EFB in a band beside the frond stack or in patches between palms, not in the weeded circle of mature palms.
    • Keep the layer one bunch thick and turn patches to check for rhinoceros beetle larvae.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Malaysia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Oil palm guide

Coffee · Kopi

Full coffee guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Productive trees

    Fertilise twice a year, at the start and end of the rains

    Place fertiliser 30 to 50 cm from the trunk and cover it with soil. Prune shade trees first so the coffee can use the nutrients.

    Technical detail
    • Puslitkoka gives doses of urea, SP-36, KCl and dolomite that rise with tree age. For demanding varieties it suggests at least 0.5 kg chemical fertiliser plus 10 kg manure per tree. This is from one guide; adjust to a soil test.
    • Philippine guide: 75 g of 14-14-14 per tree at planting.
    • Add manure or compost alongside mineral fertiliser.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Philippines
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Coffee guide

Cocoa · Kakao

Full cocoa guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Mature trees

    Feed weeded trees after the harvest

    Fertiliser works only on well-weeded trees. Ring-weed about 1 m around the trunk a month before applying.

    Technical detail
    • ACIAR (PNG): 50 g urea or 120 g NPK per mature tree, twice a year. These are rates from one guide; adjust to a soil test.
    • In Bengkulu, farmers applying N and P irregularly had leaves low in N and P, while soil K was high.
    • Composted chicken manure at least 3 months old can be added, up to 10 kg per tree twice a year in the ACIAR manual.
    Regions
    Pacific · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Cocoa guide

Sugarcane · Tebu

Full sugarcane guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Establishment

    Use a soil test to plan nutrition

    Let measured soil conditions guide phosphorus and other nutrient decisions instead of using a fixed programme everywhere.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU specifically recommends testing the soil and applying phosphorus based on soil-test values.
    • Adapt rates to local guidance, variety and expected crop demand.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Sugarcane guide

Coconut · Kelapa

Full coconut guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Establishment

    Measure the starting soil conditions

    Sample soil before planting so pH, texture and drainage concerns can shape the establishment plan.

    Technical detail
    • TNAU reports coconut growth across a broad pH range of 5.2 to 8.6; this is tolerance, not a target for every field.
    • Assess water holding capacity alongside pH.
    Regions
    India (Tamil Nadu)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Source
    Crop
    Coconut guide

Tomato · Tomat

Full tomato guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Plant on raised beds and correct acidity

    Raised beds with drains reduce waterlogging and bacterial wilt risk. Lime acid soils at least 3 weeks before planting.

    Technical detail
    • Jambi guide: beds 110 to 120 cm wide, 20 to 30 cm high, with 50 cm between beds as drains.
    • Lime about 300 kg/ha in furrows 15 to 20 cm from the row, 10 to 15 cm deep, at least 3 weeks before planting (one guide; adjust to a soil test).
    • Pacific Pests & Pathogens: plant on ridges or raised beds where drainage is poor.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Pacific
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Tomato guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Basal NPK with a side dressing at 25 to 30 days

    Split nitrogen and potassium between planting and an early side dressing, and put all phosphate in at planting.

    Technical detail
    • Jambi guide (one source): urea 200 kg/ha, SP-36 250 kg/ha, KCl 100 kg/ha.
    • Apply half the urea and KCl plus all SP-36 at or before planting; the rest at 25 to 30 days, with weeding and hilling.
    • Adjust rates to a soil test and local recommendations.
    Regions
    Indonesia
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Source
    Crop
    Tomato guide

Potato · Kentang

Full potato guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Run beds across the slope, not down it

    On a 40% slope at Tosari (1,725 m), beds running downslope lost about 41 t/ha of soil in one wet season. Contour beds with contour ridges cut this by about a third.

    Technical detail
    • Best treatment: contour-parallel beds alternating with contour ridges, with erosion about 27 t/ha (34% less).
    • Leeks were grown on the contour ridges.
    • For seed fields, Balitsa advises slopes no steeper than 30 degrees.
    Regions
    Indonesia (East Java highlands)
    Confidence
    Medium confidence: one institutional guide
    Sources
    Crop
    Potato guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Manure plus split NPK

    Indonesian guides combine heavy manure with NPK split between planting and a top-dressing.

    Technical detail
    • Balitsa medium-altitude guide: manure (printed as 2o t/ha, likely 20), urea 100, ZA 215, SP-36 420 and KCl 250 kg/ha before planting; urea 100 and ZA 215 kg/ha at 40 days.
    • Lembang trial: horse manure 30 t/ha plus NPK 16-16-16 at 800 kg/ha, 60% before planting and 40% at 3 weeks.
    • These are rates from individual guides. Adjust to a soil test and local recommendations.
    Regions
    Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Potato guide

Mango · Mangga

Full mango guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Canopy building

    Feed young and bearing trees in splits

    Increase fertilizer with tree age and split it through the year. Give most before flowering and the rest when fruit is marble sized.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide for Arumanis, year 1: 20 kg organic fertilizer, 250 g urea, 100 g SP-36 and 250 g KCl per tree, rising each year.
    • For bearing trees, that guide gives two thirds early and one third when fruit is marble sized, with at least 1 week between organic and mineral fertilizer.
    • UF/IFAS: reduce nitrogen and raise potash on bearing trees. These are rates from single guides; adjust to a soil or leaf test.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Mango guide

Durian · Durian

Full durian guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Canopy building

    Raise fertilizer with tree age, in small frequent doses

    Young trees get small, frequent doses. Rates rise as the trunk and canopy grow, and manure is applied alongside.

    Technical detail
    • Sarawak schedule: at planting 0.2 kg rock phosphate, 0.1 kg dolomite and 5 to 10 kg chicken manure; then compound fertilizer rising from 15:15:15 to 12:12:17:2+TE, and 20 to 40 kg chicken manure per tree per year.
    • Indonesian SPO: apply in a ring trench under the canopy, with organic fertilizer nearer the trunk.
    • These are rates from single guides; adjust to a soil or leaf test.
    Regions
    Malaysia · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Durian guide

Pineapple · Nanas

Full pineapple guide
    • Core practice
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Land & planting material

    Prepare peat without fire and drain it gently

    Burning and heavy machinery damage peat. Drain slowly and only as deep as needed, because over-drained peat shrinks and dries irreversibly.

    Technical detail
    • CIFOR guide (Riau): clear by hand cutting rather than fire or heavy machines.
    • MARDI: rapid or deep initial drainage causes marked shrinkage and subsidence, and over-drying cannot be reversed.
    • A 2022 Malaysian study found peat under pineapple more decomposed than natural peat.
    Regions
    Indonesia (Riau) · Malaysia (Johor)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Vegetative growth

    Basal manure and split fertilizer, with copper on peat

    Pineapple needs regular nitrogen and potassium. On peat, copper and zinc are often short.

    Technical detail
    • Kerala: 25 t/ha compost or manure basal, all phosphorus at planting, and N and K split through the crop.
    • CIFOR peat guide: about 10 t manure per hectare, then urea with copper sulfate at 2 to 3 months and again at 5 to 6 months.
    • MARDI reports zinc and copper deficiency in pineapple on Malaysian peat. Guam stops feeding at flowering. These are rates from single guides; adjust to a soil test.
    Regions
    Indonesia (Riau) · Malaysia · India (Kerala)
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Pineapple guide

Citrus · Jeruk

Full citrus guide
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Young tree

    Raise fertilizer with tree age and split doses

    Nutrient needs grow each year. Apply mineral fertilizer in split doses in a ring around the tree, guided by leaf and soil analysis.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS (one guide): N rises from about 10 to 15 g per tree in year 1 to 250 to 300 g in year 5, using urea, SP-36 and KCl; foliar micronutrients 2 to 4 times during flushing.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): place fertilizer in a ring trench 10 to 20 cm from the trunk and cover it.
    • UF/IFAS: balanced, split applications; do leaf and soil analysis before changing a program. Adjust rates to local tests.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    Crop
    Citrus guide
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