Utilization of Liquid Organic Fertilizer to Increase Growth and Production of Mustard Plants (Brassica juncea L.)

Abstract

Some of the nutritional content possessed by mustard makes the demand for this plant in Indonesia always increase every year. The selection of a sustainable agricultural system by utilizing liquid organic fertilizer is important to fulfill nutrient needs to increase the productivity of mustard. A number of studies have demonstrated that liquid organic fertilizers are high in nutrients and can improve plant growth and production. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of liquid organic fertilizer application on the growth and production of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and to determine the most effective concentration of liquid organic fertilizer to increase the growth and production of mustard (Brassica juncea L.). This study used a one-factor RBD with four treatments and one control. The treatment used is the concentration of liquid organic fertilizer application as much as 10 mL / 1 L of water, 20 mL / 1 L of water, 30 mL / 1 L of water, and 40 mL / 1 L of water.  Each treatment consisted of two plant units and was repeated five times, so there were 50 experimental units. The observational data were analyzed with ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) and continued with Duncan’s test at a level of 5%. The results showed that the application of liquid organic fertilizer with a concentration range of 10-30 mL / 1 L of water can increase all growth and production parameters and had a significant effect in increasing the length, width, number, and area of leafs. The most effective concentration of liquid organic fertilizer was 30 mL/ 1 L of water (treatment D) which showed the best results on all observation parameters and was significantly different from treatment A (control) on the parameters of length and number of leafs at 14-28 DAP.