Yield and Quality Improvement of Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea var. Sabellica L.) by Utilizing Agricultural Waste

Abstract

Curly kale has a high nutritional content that benefits the human body’s health. This plant appeals to many individuals. Using agricultural waste processed by fermentation to produce liquid organic fertilizer is an effective option for safe products and can reduce the hydroponic cultivation cost of curly kale. This study aimed to investigate liquid organic fertilizer application technology from various agricultural wastes, vinasse, leucanea leaves, and banana peels. These waste materials are additional hydroponic nutrients close to the hydroponic nutrients (AB Mix) that can increase the yield and quality of curly kale plants. Using a randomized block design, this study involved conducting ten treatments repeated three times from April to June 2022 at the screen house of Villa Puncak Tidar, Malang. The study found that the nutritional composition of AB Mix 75% + (25% LOF Vinasse + Banana Peels + Leucaena leaves) had results close to the shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, and shoot root ratio of the 100% AB Mix treatment. The total chlorophyll content approaching the 100% AB Mix treatment results was the AB Mix 75% + (25% LOF Vinasse + Banana Peels) treatment. The AB Mix 50% + (50% LOF Vinasse + Banana Peels) treatment produced the highest levels of antioxidants and showed an increase of 15.79%, compared to the 100% AB Mix treatment of 67.63%