The role of Tithonia diversifolia in sustaining crop productivity in acid soils
Andre Sparta
, Jajang Sauman Hamdani, Yuyun Yuwariah, Eliana Wulandari
Abstract: Acid soils with high distribution around the world, both in temperate and tropical areas, are being used for agricultural activities to support food production. In order to utilize plant productivity in acid soils, organic material such as Tithonia diversifolia is being used to solve several constraints in acid soils. This article focuses on the use of T. diversifolia in acid soils and its benefit in supporting plant productivity in these kinds of soils. Published literature related to potency T. diversifolia to solve several problems in acid soils were collected from database SCOPUS (www.scopus.com), Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/), and others. We found that: 1) T. diversifolia improves the physical properties of acid soils by reducing soil bulk density and improving soil porosity; 2) T. diversifolia improves the chemical properties of acid soils by reducing soil acidity and improving soil reaction, as well as soil available nutrients; 3) T. diversifolia potentially reduces heavy metal contamination in acid soils; 4) T. diversifolia, combined with other elements, can potentially mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in acid soils; and 5) T. diversifolia contributes to improving plant productivities in acid soils.
Keywords: acid soils; plant productivity; Tithonia diversifolia
Citation: Sparta, A., Hamdani, J. S., Yurwariah, Yu. & Wulandari, E. (2025). The role of Tithonia diversifolia in sustaining crop productivity in acid soils. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(1), 50–60.
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| Date published: 2025-02-25
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