Physio-Morphology of Pickerelweed (Monochoria vaginalis) in Various Soil Moisture Levels

Abstract

Rice is an important food crop for Indonesia, but its productivity is still low, which is 5.11 tons/ha. One of the factors causing the low productivity of rice is pickerelweed (Monochoria vaginalis) which can reduce yields by 80%. This research was aimed to determine the physio-morphological character of pickerelweed at various soil moisture levels and obtain soil moisture levels which can suppress the growth of pickerelweed. The research was conducted with a single factor experimental method that was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design. The treatments were soil moisture levels that consisting of 4 levels, i.e. field capacity, muddy, waterlogged 2 cm, and waterlogged 5 cm, and additional treatment is rice cultivation according to Good Agricultural Practice as a control. The results of the research showed that the moisture level of the field capacity and the muddy can reduce height, the number of leaves, plant growth rate, root length, shoots dry weight, and roots of pickerelweed, while the moisture level of waterlogged 2 cm and 5 cm increase height, the number of leaves, leaf area, weed growth rate, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of pickerelweed.