Effects of Growing Media Combined with Bioproducts Application on Physiological Characteristic and Growth of Oil Palm Seedling in the Pre-Nursery Stage

Abstract

     The objectives of this research were to study the growth of oil palm seedlings in different planting materials together with B-Palm and PSU Trichoderma bioproducts. The factorial completely randomized design was used in this study that had 2 factors. The first factor was the growing media, divided into 3 types: peat-moss, coconut coir, peat-moss mixed with oil palm male inflorescence (Ratio 1:1). The second factor was bioproducts, which divided into 5 types: control (without-bioproducts), B-Palm 5 grams per 10 liters of water, B-Palm 10 grams per 10 liters of water, B-Palm 20 grams per 10 liters of water and PSU Trichoderma bioproducts. It was found that all combinations of growing media and bioproducts affected the growth characteristics in terms of plant height, leaf length, root length, trunk fresh and dry weights, root fresh and dry weights and total fresh and dry weights. However, the use of peat moss mixed with oil palm male inflorescence resulted in the highest leaf greenness in oil palm seedlings. When considering with bioproduct factor, most treatments showed no significant differences in growth of first-stage nursery oil palm seedlings. This finding offers guidance to farmers on utilizing waste materials from oil palm plantations, such as oil palm male inflorescence or inexpensive coconut coir, as planting substrates to reduce production costs.