The role of planting media and mulch in the growth of Leptopus antigonon as a beneficial plant on oil palm plantation

Abstract

Oil palm is one of the important plantation crops in Indonesia. Oil palm is also a potential source of foreign exchange. In sustainable oil palm plantation management, pest and disease control are factors affecting FFB yield. A fireworm is a pest for oil palms. Biological control of fireworm in oil palm plantations is conducted by planting Antigonon leptopus, which produces nectar for parasitoid hosts and the caterpillars' predators. The growth and development of oil palm trees are affected by planting medium and maintenance. This study aims to obtain the best media and mulching composition for growing A. leptopus. The study uses a completely randomized design (CRD). The planting media treatment consists of various ratios of soil, sand, and manure (T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4). The mulch treatment consists of mulching (M0 and without mulching (M1). The parameters observed included length of tendrils, number of leaflets, total dry weight, root dry weight, root shoot ratio, number of flowers, and flowering plants. The results showed that planting media did not affect seed germination and viability. The ratio of planting media (2:1:1) combined with mulching gave the best vegetative growth and number of flowers for A. leptosus.