Pengaruh Komposisi Media Tanam Terhadap Bibit dan Pertumbuhan Awal Pepaya (Carica papaya L.) Tipe Bangkok dan California.

Abstract

The objective of the research was to observed growing media with a light weight but still could support the seedling and initial growth of two types of papaya. The research was conducted at Cikabayan Experimental Field, Darmaga, Bogor, from May to October 2013. The experiments used two papaya types which were Bangkok and California and was arranged in Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with one factor and three replications. The treatment was growing media composition which were a mix of soil, cattle manure, and rice husk charcoal with different ratio (ratio based on volume); M1 (2 :1:1) as a control, M2 (1:1:1), M3 (1:1:2), M4 (1:2:1), M5 (1:2:2), M6 (2:1:2), and M7 (2:2:1). The result showed that the growing media affected the weight of seedling and diameter of stem by the polybag of both types in the seedling phase at 5 Weeks After Planting (WAP), and also affected the height of plant at 1 and 2 WAP of Bangkok type. Growing media thas has light weight and was able to support the seedling’s growth was media M3, M4, and M5 for both Bangkok and California types, while the most economical was media M3. The composition of soil in the growing media can be reduced to only 1/5 part from the total volume of the media without inhibit the growth of the seedling. Growing media composition did not affected the height, number of leaf, diameter of stem, time of first flowering and height of the first flower bud in both Bangkok and California types in the field.