The effect of planting material and organic fertilizer on growth of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus oncophyllus Prain.)

Abstract

Elephant foot yam plants have the potential to be developed in Indonesia, planting material has an important role in the propagation and reproduction of elephant foot yam. The selection of the right organic fertilizer raw materials will have a positive effect on the growth and production of the growth of elephant foot yam plants and the environment. The research was conducted on Research Land of Centre for Roots and Tuber Study, Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Sumatera Utara and implemented August 2021 - January 2022. The study used a randomized block design with two factors. This study aims to determine the effect of the two planting materials (bulbil and tuber) and 3 types of organic fertilizer (chicken manure, goat manure, cow manure and without organic fertilize) on the growth of elephant foot yam. The results of this experiment showed that planting material had a significant effect on height of first shoot, number of leaves, and tuber weight but had no significant effect on number of bulbils. All observed parameters increased significantly with the addition of organic fertilizers. The treatment that gave the best elephant foot yam plants growth results was bulbil as a planting material and the application of chicken manure.