Respon Pertumbuhan Tanaman Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Sistem Hidroponik Tetes Dengan Beberapa Konsentrasi Pupuk NPK dan Pupuk Organik Cair

Abstrak

The use of NPK fertilizer and liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) is an effort to replace AB Mix nutrients, which are considered more expensive by farmers. NPK Mutiara (16:16:16) is a compound fertilizer with a balanced nutrient composition that dissolves gradually throughout the growth period. LOF contains organic materials that can enhance the availability of micronutrients readily absorbed by plants. This study aims to: (1) determine the optimal NPK fertilizer concentration for the growth of hydroponic melon plants; (2) determine the optimal GDM liquid organic fertilizer (POC GDM) concentration for the growth of hydroponic melon plants; and (3) identify the best combination of NPK fertilizer and POC GDM concentrations for the growth of hydroponic melon plants. This study used a Split-Plot Randomized Block Design with two factors and three replications. The main plot was the NPK fertilizer with different concentrations consisting of four levels: control using AB Mix nutrient solution 1800 ppm (R0), NPK fertilizer 5 g/L (R1), NPK fertilizer 10 g/L (R2), and NPK fertilizer 15 g/L (R3). The subplots consisted of three levels of LOF concentrations: 0 ml/L (H1), 10 ml/L (H2), and 20 ml/L (H3). The results of this study showed that the concentration of 5 g/L NPK produced a better response to melon plant growth in plant height, number of leaves, and leaf width. The treatment of GDM liquid organic fertilizer at a concentration of 20 ml/L gave a better response to the number of leaves at 4 weeks after planting (WAP) compared to concentrations of 0 ml/L and 10 ml/L. There was no best combination between NPK fertilizer concentration and LOF treatment for all observed parameters.