Effect of application time of NPK fertilizer with a watering system on the growth of macadamia seedlings

Abstract

The growth of macadamia seedlings takes ± 1 year to become rootstock or planted in the garden. Acceleration of seedling growth can be accelerated through NPK fertilization by a watering system. The advantage of the watering system is easy to apply and the response of the seeds is faster because the fertilizer is immediately absorbed by the roots and leaves. The study aimed to determine the application time of NPK fertilization with the best watering system for the growth of macadamia seedlings. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at Indonesian Industrial and Beverages Crops Research Institutes(IIBCRI) Sukabumi Regency West Java, from September 2020 to February 2021. The study was conducted by a randomized block design with 5 treatments (application times of NPK fertilizer by watering). Types of treatments are : (P1) once a week, (P2) every 2 weeks, (P3) every 3 weeks, (P4) 4 weeks, and (P0) watering without fertilizer once a week. The experimental results showed that watering NPK fertilizer intervals of 2 weeks were the best treatment for the growth of macadamia seedlings with a height of up to 16 cm, a number of leaves (13.2) strands, root length of 19.82 cm, and dry weight, a total of 8.01 and a root-shoot ratio of 3.77. The dose and application time of NPK fertilizer can be used as information for effective and efficient fertilization so that it can be recommended as balanced fertilization to support sustainable agriculture.