Pengaruh Pemberian Mulsa Cangkang Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit di Desa Tandikek Sumatera Utara

Abstract

RAHMAT AFANDI. Pengaruh Pemberian Mulsa Cangkang Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit di Desa Tandikek Sumatera Utara (The Effect of Applying Oil Palm Shell Mulch on the Growth of Oil Palm Seedlings in Tandikek Village North Sumatra). Dibimbing oleh SUWARTO.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemberian mulsa cangkang kelapa sawit terhadap pertumbuhan bibit kelapa sawit pada tahap pembibitan main nursery. Penelitian dilaksanakan selama dua bulan di pembibitan kelapa sawit Desa Tandikek, Sumatera Utara. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan satu faktor, yaitu dosis mulsa cangkang kelapa sawit yang terdiri atas tiga taraf, yaitu 0 g, 250 g, dan 500 g per polybag dengan empat ulangan. Parameter yang diamati meliputi pertambahan tinggi bibit, diameter batang, jumlah daun, dan berat gulma. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji ANOVA atau uji Kruskal–Wallis pada taraf nyata 5%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pemberian mulsa cangkang kelapa sawit berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan bibit kelapa sawit dan penekanan gulma. Perlakuan dosis mulsa 500 g per polybag memberikan hasil terbaik dengan rata-rata pertambahan tinggi bibit sebesar 21,8 cm, diameter batang 14,1 mm, jumlah daun 5,2 helai, serta berat gulma terendah sebesar 117,3 g.

Kata kunci: gulma, mulsa cangkang kelapa sawit, pertumbuhan bibit

RAHMAT AFANDI. The Effect of Applying Oil Palm Shell Mulch on the Growth of Oil Palm Seedlings in Tandikek Village North Sumatra. Supervised by SUWARTO. This study aimed to determine the effect of oil palm shell mulch application on the growth of oil palm seedlings at the main nursery stage. The study was conducted for two months at an oil palm nursery in Tandikek Village, North Sumatra. A completely randomized design (CRD) with a single factor was applied, namely the dosage of oil palm shell mulch consisting of three levels: 0 g, 250 g, and 500 g per polybag , with four replications. The observed parameters included seedling height increment, stem diameter, number of leaves, and weed biomass. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or the Kruskal–Wallis test at a 5% significance level. The results showed that oil palm shell mulch application affected oil palm seedling growth and weed suppression. The 500 g mulch treatment produced the best results, with an average height increment of 21.8 cm, stem diameter of 14.1 mm, number of leaves of 5.2, and the lowest weed biomass of 117.3 g. Keywords: oil palm shell mulch, seedling growth, weeds