Analisis Karakter Morfologi Tanaman Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri) terhadap Pemberian Fitosan dan Antioksidan di Lahan Salin

Abstract

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri) is a type of tuber-producing plant whose tubers contain glucomannan. One of the main causes of the decline in porang productivity is environmental stress, particularly salinity. An effort to overcome this problem is through the application of phytosan and antioxidants to porang plants grown in saline soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of phytosan and antioxidant application on the morphological growth of porang under salinity stress conditions. The research was conducted in Hilimbosi Village, Sitolu Ori District, North Nias Regency, from July to November 2023, using a randomized block design (RBD) with two factors. The first factor was phytosan concentration, consisting of 750 ppm, 1500 ppm, and 2250 ppm. The second factor was antioxidant concentration, consisting of control, salicylic acid (500 ppm), and ascorbic acid (500 ppm). The results showed that the application of different phytosan concentrations significantly affected plant height at 8–16 weeks after planting (WAP) and leaf number at 12–16 WAP. The 2250 ppm phytosan treatment produced the best results in enhancing vegetative growth. The application of antioxidants also had a significant effect on several morphological growth parameters of porang, particularly plant height at 8–10 WAP, stem diameter, and root length. Ascorbic acid produced the best results in improving plant height, stem diameter, and root length. The interaction between phytosan and antioxidant applications showed no significant effect on all morphological or physiological growth parameters of porang. However, the combination treatment of 1500 ppm phytosan and ascorbic acid produced the best results in improving plant height and stem diameter.