Optimization of early growth of bululawang sugarcane seedlings through arbuscular mycorrhizal dose application under greenhouse conditions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31102/eam.3.1.79-90Keywords:
bud-set seedlings, arbuscular mycorrhiza, early growth, sugarcaneAbstract
The early growth of Bululawang sugarcane bud-set seedlings requires seedling-production technology that can effectively and environmentally improve plant vigor. This study aimed to evaluate the early growth response of Bululawang sugarcane seedlings to different doses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted from September 2023 to January 2024 using four AMF doses, namely 0 g, 5 g, 10 g, and 15 g per polybag, arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with five replications. The observed variables included shoot length, shoot diameter, number of leaves, root length, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s honestly significant difference test at the 5% significance level. The mean growth response index was calculated by normalizing all measured growth and biomass variables against the 0 g control. AMF application produced different responses in shoot growth, root development, and biomass accumulation. The 10 g dose produced the highest fresh weight of 293.20 g, whereas the 15 g dose produced the highest dry weight of 82.43 g and the highest mean growth response index of 142.83%. Therefore, 15 g was considered the agronomically optimum dose because it produced the strongest overall growth and dry matter accumulation, while 10 g was considered an efficient dose because it maximized fresh biomass at a lower AMF input. AMF application has potential as a biological technology for improving Bululawang sugarcane seedling quality during early growth.
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