| Abstrak/Abstract |
Fertilizers derived from natural materials, such as Sargassum sp. (seaweed), are a promising
technique to overcome the negative impact of overuse of inorganic fertilizers. Groundwater
contamination, soil degradation, and changes in the soil microorganism community are
problems related to overdosing on inorganic fertilizer during crop production. The use
of Sargassum compost (SC) as a substitute inorganic fertilizer was tested by evaluating
the growth and yield of shallot grown on sandy soil. The research was arranged in a
randomized complete block design consisting of four treatments and three blocks of
replications. The treatments involved substituting SC for inorganic fertilizer, which were
100% inorganic, 25% SC + 75% inorganic, 50% SC + 50% inorganic, and 75% SC + 25%
inorganic, respectively. The compositions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium
(K), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, and kinetin in SC, as well as
the growth and yield of shallot, were analyzed by analysis of variance followed by the
least significant difference test. The results
showed that the SC contained high organic
matter (45.78%), nitrogen (4.1%), phosphate
(0.5%), potassium (0.8%), sodium (7.2%),
sulfur (0.2%), and plant growth hormones,
such as auxin (8.14 mg.g−1), gibberellin
(15.97 mg.g−1), cytokinin (7.70 mg.g−1),
and kinetin (2.78 mg.g−1). Interestingly, all
substitution levels of the SC for inorganic
fertilizer improved nutrient absorption in
868 Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 45 (4): 867 - 880 (2022)
Samsul Muarif, Endang Sulistyaningsih, Valentina Dwi Suci Handayani and Alim Isnansetyo
the leaves, roots, and bulbs. Moreover,
the growth and yield of shallot were not
significantly different among the treatments.
Therefore, to provide sufficient nutrients and
growth hormones, SC could be substituted
for up to 75% of organic fertilizers for
shallot plants. |
