Sustainable Fertilizer Management and Economic Performance of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Farms: Evidence from Guano and KCL Use in Jember, Indonesia

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a strategic source of plant-based protein and an industrial raw material in Indonesia; however, national and local production in Jember Regency has declined in recent years, while fertilizer costs continue to rise. This study aims to evaluate the agronomic and economic effects of combining guano and KCL fertilizers on peanut growth, yield components, biomass, and partial farm profitability under smallholder conditions in East Java. A field experiment was conducted from July to October 2025 in Krajan, Slawu, Patrang District, using a 4×2 factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications on peanut variety Katana 2. The treatments consisted of four guano rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 ton/ha) and two KCL rates (75 and 100 kg/ha), applied one week before sowing, followed by standard NPK fertilization and recommended crop management practices. Growth traits (plant height, leaf stalk number, branch number), yield components (sound and empty pods, pod and seed weight, 100‑seed weight), and biomass were subjected to two-way ANOVA and DMRT. Guano significantly increased branch number, whereas 100 kg/ha KCL improved sound pods and biomass; however, most yield variables did not differ statistically, making the low-input package without guano and 75 kg/ha KCL the option with the highest partial gross margin. The findings indicate that optimizing guano–KCL combinations can support cost-efficient and more sustainable fertilizer management in peanut agribusiness and agro-industrial supply chains in Indonesia.