Abstract. Indonesia is a country that has a lot of limestone mountains, covering 15.4 million hectares. Limestone mountains have strategic functions as limestone is used as building materials and as raw material in cement industry. Therefore, limestone mining quarry in various areas of limestone mountains in Indonesia is increasingly widespread. The biggest negative impact of limestone mining is the formed open land which is abandoned and unutilized. Changes in the ecosystem will lead to the reduced levels of diversity and productivity of indigenous forage which will ultimately reduce the performance and development of ruminants livestock kept by farmers in the mountainous region of limestone. This study aims to determine the diversity and productivity of indigenous forage on former limestone mining quarry in limestone mountains of southern Gombong. The research was conducted through survey by identifying and measuring the forage production of sample plots assigned purposively. Location of the study was divided into three categories, mild, moderate and heavy mining. Results showed that soil fertility levels in open fields of former limestone mining in southern Gombong mountains are low with total N content of 0.049 -0.141%, total P2O5 of 0.067 -0.133% and total K2O of 0.086 -0.100%. The diversity of indigenous forage on mild mining was more diverse than that of moderate and heavy mining, i.e. 13 species comprising 7 grass species, 2 legumes species, and 4 species of shrubs. The most dominant species in all mining categories are Cynodon dactylon, Imperata cylindrica, Ageratum conyzoides and Mikania micrantha. The results also showed that in the open land of mild mining had the highest production of fresh and dry matter compared to that of moderate and severe mining. Key words: diversity, indigenous forage, limestone mountainsAbstrak. Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara yang mempunyai banyak pegunungan kapur, luasnya mencapai 15,4 juta hektar. Pegunungan kapur memiliki fungsi yang sangat strategis karena batuan kapur banyak dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan bangunan dan bahan pembuatan semen. Oleh karena itu usaha penambangan batu kapur di berbagai wilayah pegunungan kapur di Indonesia semakin berkembang luas. Dampak negatif terbesar dari usaha penambangan batu kapur adalah terbentuknya lahan terbuka yang terlantar dan tidak didayagunakan. Perubahan ekosistem tersebut akan menyebabkan menurunnya tingkat keragaman dan produktivitas hijauan pakan indigenous yang pada akhirnya akan menurunkan tingkat kinerja dan perkembangan ternak ruminansia yang dipelihara oleh peternak di wilayah pegunungan kapur. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keragaman dan produktivitas hijauan pakan indigenous pada lahan bekas penambangan kapur di pegunungan kapur Gombong selatan. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode survei dengan melakukan inventarisasi dan pengukuran produksi melalui petak contoh secara purposive. Lokasi penelitian terbagi dalam tiga katagori yaitu penambangan ringan, sedang dan berat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ...

The negative impact of limestone mining on a karst area around Gombong is the destruction of ecosystem. Ecosystem's destruction will decrease the variety, productivity, quality and continuity of indigenous livestock forages. The aim of this research is to know the growth rate of Dwarf Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum 'Mott') in the post mining limestone with various methods of planting. The method used in this research is an experimental method in an open field that was used for limestone mining by using Completed Random Design. The treatment consists of 4 kinds of planting methods with 4 repetitions, while the research treatment used in this experiment is the RG (the field with Dwarf Elephant Grass); RGL (the field with Dwarf Elephant Grass + peanut legume); RGK (the field with Dwarf Elephant Grass + goat's compost 1,5 kg/m 2 ) and RGKL (the field with Dwarf Elephant Grass + peanut legume + goat's compost 1,5 kg/m 2 ). The parameter used for the research is the growth rate which includes the plant's height, the length of the leaves, and also the width of Dwarf Elephant Grass's leaves (Pennisetum purpureum 'Mott') until the 8 th week.The result of this research shows that the use of goat's compost 1,5 kg/m 2 and planting of peanut can give significant results to the growth of Dwarf Elephant Grass in open field that was used for limestone mining.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact and efficiency of red betel leaf’s extract supplementation in the diet of dairy cattle on fermentation characteristics by in vitro.  The research method was experiment by using completely randomized design.  The treatments that were tested were R1: basal feed, R2:  R1 + 15 ppm of  red betel  leaf (Piper crocatum) extract, R3: R1 + 30 ppm of  red betel leaf (Piper crocatum) extract, R4: R1 + 45 ppm of red betel leaf (Piper crocatum) extract, R5: R1 + 60 ppm of red betel leaf (Piper crocatum) extract. The parameters measured in this study were (1)Dry MatterDigestibility (DMD),(2)Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD)  (3) total gas production  (4) methane production (CH4) and (5)  total Volatille Fatty Acid (VFA).  The data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed Orthogonal Polynomial Test.The results showed that the suplementation red batel extract in the diet of dairy cow was significant (P < 0.01) on DMD, OMD, total gas production, methane production (CH4)  and total VFA.Orthogonal Polynomial test showed the effect of treatment on Dry MatterDigestibility (DMD), total gas and CH4 gas production were in the form of cubic curve, as well as Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD) and Volatille Fatty Acid (VFA) in the form of quadrate curvewith supplementation of red betel leaf.

The aim of this research was to revegetate the disused limestone quarry by introducing dwarf elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott) and annual legumes such as peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), soybeans (Glycine max), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and  mung beans (Vigna radiata). The study was conducted experimentally in a disused limestone quarry applying Completely Randomized Design. The research method used was experimental in disused limestone mining in karst Gombong area applying Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Treatment consisted of 6 planting methods with 4 replicates. The 6 treatments research were the followings: RO: Single planting of dwarf elephant grass,  R1: Single planting of dwarf elephant grass + 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost,  R2: Mixture Planting of dwarf elephant grass + legume peanuts + 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost,  R3: Mixture planting of dwarf elephant grass + legume soybeans + 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost,  R4: Mixture planting of dwarf elephant grass + legume cowpeas + 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost and R5: Mixture planting of dwarf elephant grass + legume mung beans + 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost. The measured response variables were plant’s height, fresh yield, dry matter yield and crude protein content of dwarf elephant grass aged 8 weeks. The result showed that the addition of goat compost and the planting method of annual legumes on the disused limestone quarry had highly significant influence (P<0.01) on the increase productivity and quality of dwarf elephant grass. The best method of planting dwarf elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott) on disused limestone mining in karst Gombong area is mixture planting with soybean legumes (Glycine max) and adding the 1.5 kg/m2 goat compost.

Penelitian bertujuan untuk merevegetasi lahan terbuka bekas penambangan batu kapur dengan tanaman ubi jalar (Ipomoea batatas) yang dipupuk dengan serasah kompos kambing.  Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode eksperimental dengan menggunakan pola percobaan Faktorial dengan rancangan acak lengkap yang masing-masing perlakukan diulang 3 kali.  Faktor I adalah jenis ubi jalar lokal yaitu ubi jalar warna ungu (U), warna putih (P) dan warna kuning (K), sedangkan Faktor II adalah level pemupukan serasah kompos kambing k1 : level pemupukan 0,5 kg/m2, k2 : level pemupukan 1 kg/m2, k3 : level pemupukan 1,5 kg/m2 dan k4 : level pemupukan 2 kg/m2.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa jenis ubi jalar dan dan level pemupukan berpengaruh nyata (P<0,05) terhadap produktivitas ubi jalar namun tidak terjadi interaksi (P>0,05) antar keduanya. Kesimpulan yang diperoleh bahwa ubi jalar kuning (K) dengan level pemupukan serasah kompos kambing minimal 1 kg/m2 atau 10 kg/ton memupunyai produktivitas ubi jalar yang tinggi.