BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 21, Number 11, November 2020 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 5008-5012 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d211104 The effect of slope level and hydroseeding formula on the growth of Cyperus brevifolius and Pueraria javanica seedlings ANISA ZAIRINA ♥ , YANI QUARTA MONDIANA Forestry Program, Faculty of Forestry, Institut Pertanian Malang, Jl. Sukarno Hatta No 210, Malang 65141, East Java, Indonesia. Tel.: +62-341-495541, Fax. +62-341-485539, ♥ email: anisa.zairina85@gmail.com Manuscript received: 25 August 2020. Revision accepted: 5 October 2020. Abstract. Zairina A, Mondiana YQ. 2020. The effect of slope level and hydroseeding formula on the growth of Cyperus brevifolius and Pueraria javanica seedlings. Biodiversitas 21: 5008-5012. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the slope level on the growth of green kyllinga (Cyperus brevifolius) and puero (Pueraria javanica) seedling in a hydroseeding formula. The hydroseeding mixture consists of plant seeds, compost, soil conditioner, manure, and water. In addition, to all hydroseeding compositions, guar gum and a local microorganism mix were mixed until colloidal mulch was obtained. This study applied factorial design with slope level dan hydroseeding treatment as independent variables, while seed height, number of shoots, and number of leaves were the dependent variables. Data were replicated four times. The hydroseeding formula had a significant effect on all variables, except for the height of C. brevifolius seedlings. There was a significant interaction effect between the slope level and hydroseeding treatment on the germination rate of both species but the effect of this interaction was not significant on plant height and leaf number. The best germination rates were found in boxes with a slope of 100%. This situation was consistent for both species. This indicated that both species had the potential to be used as pioneer plants in post-landslide reclamation with a slope of 100%. Keywords: Hydroseeding, landslide, native species, reclamation INTRODUCTION Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and is frequently exposed to a range of hazards. One of the disastrous events is the occurrence of landslides. Most of the hilly and mountainous areas in Java have vulnerable soil characteristics (Hadmoko et al. 2010). The increasing agricultural cultivation and settlement rate leads to a parallel increase in areas of degraded soil conditions and steep slopes that need revegetation (Stanchi et al. 2012). Management of landslides is generally carried out technically by building retaining embankments. This handler is more feasible on land with steep slopes. Meanwhile, steep slope below 110% still allows for the revegetation process. Research on types of landslide resistant plants generally focuses on woody plants such as longan, durian, Leucaena, and Queen Crape Myrtle. Vegetation of trees may help to prevent soil slippage and improve hillside stability through strengthening its roots (Stokes 2009). The plant species are suitable for latter succession, whereas, in an earlier situation, the best plants are the pioneer ones. Hydroseeding with commercial seeds of fast‐growing grasses and legumes is a common practice in revegetation. However, research on hydroseeding in Indonesia is few. Several previous studies have always associated with ex- mining land (Thomas et al. 2015; Yulianingsih and Arisoesilaningsih 2015). Meanwhile, hydroseeding is one of the revegetation actions that make it possible to overcome difficulties of manual planting. The hydroseeding formula can be applied in a relatively wide and steep area (Albaladejo et al. 2000). The presence of an adhesive in the formula increases the ability of the seeds to resist erosion. A better knowledge of species characteristics and species-specific responses to hydroseeding components may help to improve the success and the cost-effectiveness of this restoration procedure (Clemente et al. 2016). The selection of the right plant species is essential to ensure the success and sustainability of revegetation. (Oliveira et al. 2013). On embankments, the use of non-native herbs to protect from erosion should be avoided because it may potentially dominate the community (García-Palacios et al. 2010). Therefore, native plant species are highly recommended because of their presumed ability to adapt to local abiotic and biotic conditions. The stability of the slope as a target should be in harmony with the surrounding environment. This goal may be successful with revegetation, as plant root systems fix soil against slippage (Stokes et al. 2009). The ground cover plant in this study serves as a hindrance to soil erosion due to rainwater. For example, the selection of grass species is based on the fact that this type can cover the soil quickly and through the roots. Grasses and legumes are the types commonly planted in the early stages of land revegetation because they are pioneer species (Chen et al. 2014). The utilization of seeds for revegetation of land after landslides is based on the consideration that these plants have pioneer characteristics and are in high abundance. Ecologically, this plant has an important role because of its ability to grow and colonize a wide area