Jurnal Biodjati 8(2):191–202, November 2023
http://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/biodjati
e-ISSN : 2541-4208
p-ISSN : 2548-1606
Effect of Growth Space on The Productivity of Maize Using Three Sisters
Cultivation with Bee Pollination
Nadia Damika Putri1, Acep Purqon2, Ramadhani Eka Putra3*
INTRODUCTION
The increasing number of food needs
due to the population growth every year is
one factor that encourages agricultural pro-
duction. Food security is an essential factor
because it is estimated that the population in
Indonesia will continue to increase, with an
estimated 319 million people in 2045 (Statis-
tics Indonesia (BPS), 2020). Thus, the future
challenge in agriculture is to provide enough
nutrition for the growing human population in
the urban area. Urban agriculture may provide
a foundation for asustainable food production
system and other benefits related to a sustain-
able city (Nogeire-McRae et al., 2018). This
system can be a solution for cutting the food
supply chain and supporting micro-household
food independence, which produces food for
local needs (Ghosh, 2008; Eigenbrod & Gru-
da, 2015). This independent food production
can reduce the costs of food purchases, adjust
production results to the dietary preferences
of each individual, and consume fresher and
more affordable food (Andini et al., 2021).
However, urban agriculture's common
challenges are low land availability and de-
Citation
Putri, N. D., Purqon, A. & Putra, R. E. (2023). Effect of Growth Space on The Productivity of
Maize Using Three Sisters Cultivation with Bee Pollination. Jurnal Biodjati, 8(2), 191–202.
DOI: 10.15575/biodjati.v8i2.19227
*Corresponding author
Abstract. The increasing number of food needs is one of the driv-
ing factors for increasing agricultural production, but there are con-
straints on the availability of land. A polyculture system with corn,
beans, and pumpkins, commonly known as the three sisters, can create
positive interactions that can enhance the growth and development of
each plant. This system has a vast potency to be applied to urban
farming inside a grow bag because it does not require ample space,
the placement of plants is flexible, and it produces a variety of yields.
However, it is necessary to assess the effect of growing space on the
growth of maize (Zea mays) cultivated by the three-sister system. This
study used a completely randomized design with three treatments and
six replications. The treatment consists of three planting spaces with
various growing bags (treatment A:75 L, B:100 L, and C:200 L). The
results of this study showed that the highest corn productivity was in
the largest growing space (treatment C), which weighed 318.40 g/cob,
and without husks 246.42 g/cob, but not significantly different from
treatment B (grow bag 100 L), which weights 316.20 g/cob and with-
out pods of 240.63 g/cob. This study found that the 100 L grow bag
was the optimal growing space for planting corn in containers using
the three sisters technique.
Keywords: corn, grow bag, growth space, three sister
1,3
Agricultural Engineering, School
of Life Sciences and Technology, Jl.
Let. Jend. Purn. Dr. (HC) Mashudi
No.1, Jatinangor, Sumedang, West
Java- Indonesia, 45363, 2Department
of Physic, Faculty of Mathematics and
Natural Sciences, Jl. Ganesha No. 10
Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, 45363
e-mail:
1
elnadiadamikaputri@gmail.com
2
acep.purqon@gmail.com
3*
ramadhaniputra@gmail.com
Received: June 19, 2023
Revise from: June 27, 2023
Accepted: August 08, 2023
Copyright © 2023 Jurnal Biodjati
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)