The effect of water volume on growth of several oil palm varieties (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) aged of 8-14 months in main nursery

Abstract

Oil palm plantation has an important role for the development of national plantation in Indonesia, in purpose to create job opportunities that lead to community welfare and also become the source of foreign exchange or tax for the country. Over the last four years, the area of oil palm plantation in Indonesia has increased from 10.4 million hectares since 2013 and continued to 12.30 million hectares in 2017 with total production 34.47 million tons of Crude Palm Oil (CPO). This research was conducted using experimental research by applying the form of the two-stage nested plot with the treatment arrangement of factor 2 into factor 1. The first factor was oil palm variety which includes of 3 levels, namely V1: Tenera DxP Marihat variety, V2: Tenera DxP Topaz 3 variety, and V3: Tenera DxP Socfindo Lame variety. The second factor was the volume of water supply which consists of 4 levels, namely A1 = 1000 ml per day per plant, A2 = 1500 ml per day per plant, A3 = 2000 ml per day per plant, and A4 = 2500 ml per day per plant. The Observation parameters are photosynthetic rate, leaf area, seedling height, and diminutive diameter of trunk, number of leaves, wet weight, plant roots, root crown ratio, and seed quality index. The results showed that the volume of water affected all growth components of several varieties of oil palm seedlings, both on the variables of photosynthesis rate, leaf area, seedling height, and diminutive diameter of trunk, number of leaves, wet weight, plant root volume, root crown ratio, and seed quality index.