Pengaruh Pemberian Giberelin Acid dan Biochar Cangkang Kelapa Sawit terhadap Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) di Main Nursery

Abstract

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an important plantation crop in Indonesia. The first step in oil palm cultivation is the nursery stage. In the main nursery, both the quality and quantity of seedlings must be carefully and accurately maintained. One of the efforts to improve seedling growth is the use of plant growth regulators such as gibberellic acid and biochar, which can enhance the chemical, physical, and biological properties of the soil. This study aimed to determine the growth response of oil palm seedlings to the application of gibberellic acid and oil palm shell biochar at the main nursery stage. The research was conducted at the nursery of the Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI) in the Aek Pancur Unit Plantation, located in Tanjung Morawa Subdistrict, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra Province, from November 2024 to February 2025. This research used Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of 2 treatment factors with 3 replications. The first factor was gibberellic acid concentration (0; 75; 150; 225 ppm), and the second was oil palm shell biochar dosage (0; 75; 150; 225 g/polybag). The results showed that the application of gibberellic acid significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and number of fronds. The application of oil palm shell biochar significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight of the seedlings. The interaction between control gibberellic acid (G0) and 150 g/polybag biochar (B2) showed a significant effect on the increase in plant height and stem diameter.