Optimizing The Growth of Palm Palm Seedlings by Providing Several Types of Market Waste Fertilizer and Planting Media

Abstract

Oil palm is a plant that holds a significant position in the agricultural and horticultural industries. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between the composition of the planting medium and the utilization of commercial fertilizer waste on the growth of oil palm in nurseries. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the impact of different waste fertilizers on the market and the composition of the growing media for oil palm trees in the nursery. The research was conducted at the Education and Research Garden (KP2) in Wedomartani Village, Depok District, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research site is at an altitude of 118 meters above sea level, and the study was conducted from March to June 2023. A factorial randomized design (CRD), consisting of two factors, was employed for this study. The first factor involved market waste, which was categorized into three levels: fish waste (70g), vegetable waste (70g), and fruit fertilizer (70g). The second factor focused on the composition of the planting media, which also had three levels: latosol 100g: beach sand 1900g, latosol 150g: beach sand 1850g, and latosol 200g: beach sand 1800g. The study included five repetitions, resulting in a total of 45 plants. The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of 5%. The study's results revealed an interaction between the combination of market waste fertilizer and the composition of the oil palm planting media in the pre-nursery stage. Significant interactions and effects were observed between the combinations of fertilizer market waste and the composition of the growing media on leaf area and soil pH. Furthermore, the market waste fertilizer significantly impacted the number of leaves, stem diameter, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight. Additionally, the composition of the media had a significant influence on stem diameter and soil pH.