Application of compost in mixed media improved oil palm nursery’s secondary root structure thereby reducing the fertilizer requirement for growth

Abstract

Although conventional inorganic fertilizers increased plant growth and productivity, their excessive use leads to wastage, run-offs and environmental pollution. In order to promote nutrient recycling and zero emission strategy in the palm oil industry, compost was produced from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) anaerobic sludge. The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of compost in the mixed media on the growth and inorganic fertilizer requirement in the oil palm nursery. 100% soil as media with 100% inorganic fertilizer as control was compared with mixed media containing 50% compost in soil with inorganic fertilizer at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% compositions and tested for plant growth and root structure. The results showed that the treatments with compost addition improved plant growth, compared to the control with 100% inorganic fertilizer which did not contain compost in the mixed medium. The improved plant growth corresponded directly to the enhanced secondary root structure, which probably resulted in more efficient absorption and uptake of nutrients by the plants. Furthermore, the plant growth and the secondary root structure in the mixed media with 50% inorganic fertilizer composition was not significantly different to the media with 75% and 100% inorganic fertilizer. Therefore it is suggested that the application of 50% compost in the mixed media enhanced the secondary root structure, resulting in reduced inorganic fertilizer requirement in the oil palm main nursery, without affecting the plant growth.

Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) Akibat Perbandingan Bokashi Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit dengan Top Soil

“…Selanjutnya tinggi rendahnya bobot kering bagian atas tanaman tergantung pada jenis unsur hara, banyak atau sedikitnya serapan unsur hara yang berlangsung selama proses pertumbuhan tanaman, seperti unsur N. Unsur N adalah salah satu unsur yang diperlukan dalam pembibitan kelapa sawit karena unsur ini aktif dalam pembentukan dan pertumbuhan vegetatif tanaman seperti daun, batang dan akar (Sitio et al, 2015;Leghari et al, 2016) serta cabang (Irwanto, 2018). Kandungan nitrogen berkaitan erat dengan tinggi tunas, diameter batang, klorofil daun, dan morfologi pucuk (Salamat et al, 2019). Kandungan klorofil daun sangat berkaitan erat dengan unsur hara N yang tersedia dan dapat diserap oleh tanaman kelapa sawit (Setiawan et al, 2017).…”

Respons Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit dengan Pemberian Kompos Pelepah, Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit, dan Air Cucian Beras

“…Unsur N merupakan salah satu unsur yang sangat dibutuhkan bagi pembibitan kelapa sawit, sebab unsur tersebut berperan dalam pembentukan dan pertumbuhan vegetatif tanaman seperti daun, batang, dan akar (Sitio et al, 2015). Kandungan nitrogen memiliki korelasi yang kuat terhadap kandungan tinggi bibit, diameter batang, klorofil daun dan morfologi pucuk (Salamat et al, 2019).…”