Study of physical parameters on Sargassum liquid fertilizer production and its nutrient contents

Abstract

Sargassum can be used as an alternative material for liquid organic fertilizer production. Liquid organic fertilizer is more environmental-friendly than the synthetic one. In the previous research, we have reported that Sargassum from Lange Beach (Aceh Besar, Aceh, Indonesia) was potential as a source of nutrients for plants. This current work aims to evaluate the levels of plants growth hormones including auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin. Furthermore, we also evaluated the levels of macronutrients of the Sargassum liquid fertilizer (SLF) obtained from a twenty-five-day fermentation compared with the Indonesian Agricultural Ministry Regulation of Permentan no. 70/SR./140/10/2011. Using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, we reported that the levels of auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin were 2.546 ± 0.399 ppm; 130.093 ± 0.378 ppm; and 13.456 ± 0.783 ppm, respectively. In addition, the contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) as macronutrients were 1.79 ± 0.25 %; 0.025 ± 0.005 %; and 0.15 ± 0 %, respectively. Our study also measured the physical parameters of the reactor, such as temperature and humidity, when the production was taking place. Reactor temperature during the production process was in between 31 and 32°C. Meanwhile, the humidity was in between 87 and 89%. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that SLF produced from Lange’s Sargassum had sufficient nutrients needed by plants according to the national regulation.