Kana-Hau D, Nulik J. The effect of techniques and time of sowing, seed rate, and weed management on selected herbaceous 159 Effect of Techniques and Time of Sowing, Seed Rate, and Weed Management on Selected Herbaceous Legumes Establishments in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Kana-Hau D, Nulik J East Nusa Tenggara Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology Jl. Tomor Raya km.32, Naibonat, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara E-mail: debora_nulik@yahoo.com (received 18-05-2016; revised 19-08-2016; accepted 06-09-2016) ABSTRAK Kana-Hau D, Nulik J. 2016. Pengaruh dari teknik dan waktu menabur, tingkat benih dan pengelolaan gulma pada perusahaan kacang herba terpilih di Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia. JITV 21(3): 159-164. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14334/jitv.v21i3.1586 Suatu seri penelitian cara dan waktu tanam dan manajemen gulma bagi beberapa species tanaman pakan leguminosa herba terpilih (Clitoria ternatea cv Milgarra, Centrosema pascuorum cv Cavalcade dan cv Bundey, dan Lablab purpureus cv Highworth) telah dilakukan di Nusa Tenggara Timur (Timor dan Flores) untuk mendapatkan cara dan waktu tanam dan manajemen gulma terbaik, yaitu antara lain menghemat tenaga kerja dan memberikan produksi biomassa yang memadai sesuai dengan potensi spesies yang diteliti. Perlakuan cara tanam meliputi tugal, garit (ditutup dan tidak ditutup), dan sebar (digaru dan tidak digaru); dan waktu tanam yang meliputi awal musim hujan (Desember-Januari), pertengahan musim hujan (Februari- Maret) dan akhir musim hujan (April-Mei), serta manajemen gulma dengan menyiang atau tanpa menyiang. Penelitian menggunakan rancangan acak berblok dengan 4 ulangan dirancang dalam plot-plot ukuran 3 x 4 m s/d 4 x 5 m, bergantung pada ketersediaan lahan untuk penelitian. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa cara tanam terbaik dengan populasi tanaman tertinggi (42 tanaman/m² pada minggu ke 4 setelah tanam) dan produksi biomassa terbesar dipeoleh pada cara tugal (1,75 s/d 2,5 ton BK/ha per panen pada 12 minggu setelah tanam di Ende dan 4-5 ton BK/ha di Nagekeo), diikuti oleh cara tanam digarit tutup (1- 1,3 ton BK/ha di Ende dan 3,5-4 ton BK/ha di Nagekeo), dan terendah pada cara sebar (9-20 tanaman/m² dan produksi biomassa 2-2,5 ton BK/ha di Nagekeo dan 0,5-1 ton BK/ha di Ende pada panen tanaman umur 12 minggu). Manejemen gulma pada leguminosa menunjukkan bahwa penyiangan nyata memberikan produksi biomasa yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan tanpa penyiangan. Nampak pula bahwa pengaruh gulma lebih besar pada spesies Clitoria ternatea dibandingkan dengan pada spesies Lablab purpureus, terutama pada penanaman awal musim hujan. Kata Kunci: Leguminosa Herba, Clitoria ternatea, Centrosema pascuorum, Lablab purpureus, NTT, Cara Tanam, Waktu Tanam, Establishment ABSTRACT Kana-Hau D, Nulik J. 2016. Effect of techniques and time of sowing, seed rate, and weed management on selected herbaceous legumes establishments in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. JITV 21(3): 159-164. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14334/jitv.v21i3.1586 A series of experiments on techniques and time of sowing, and weed management of legumes Clitoria ternatea cv Milgarra, Centrosema pascuorum cv Cavalcade and cv Bundey, and Lablab purpureus cv Highworth, was conducted in East Nusa Tenggara (in the islands of Timor, Flores, and Sumba) in order to determine proper technique and time of sowing and weed management, which would be efficient in labor use and sufficient biomass production. Treatments of sowing techniques included dibble, furrow (covered and not covered), and broadcast (harrowed and not harrowed); while sowing time consisted of early wet season (December-January), mid of wet season (February-March) and the end of wet season (April-May), while weed managements consisted of weeded and unweeded treatments. The experiments employed block randomized design with four replications using plot sizes of 3 x 4 m to 4 x 5 m, depending on the availability of land for the experiments. The results of the experiments showed that the best sowing technique with the highest plant population at 4 weeks after planting was dibbling (42 plants/m²), followed by furrow, while the lowest plant population was obtained at the broadcast technique (9-20 plants/m²). Similarly, the highest biomass production was obtained in the dibbling technique (1.75 to 2.5 tons DM/ha per harvest at 12 weeks after planting in Ende, and 4-5 ton DM/ha in Nagekeo), followed by furrow technique covered or not covered (1-1.3 tons DM/ha in Ende and 3.5-4 tons DM/ha in Nagekeo), and the lowest in broadcast technique (0.3-1 ton DM/ha in Ende and 2-2.5 ton DM/ha in Nagekeo). However, considering the labor requirement and cost, it was recommended that furrow technique to suit the small farmer practices in the region. Weed management showed that weeded treatment (keep legume cleaned of weeds) gave