The effect of silica source concentration to improve growth of Lactuca sativa L. On floating hydroponic system

Abstract

The efficiency of nutrient absorption in lettuce cultivation with a floating raft hydroponic system can increase productivity and reduce hydroponic nutrients' operational costs. This study aims to study the concentration of silica elements from silica sources made from rice husks and synthetic silica on lettuce plants' growth. This research was carried out in April 2019-May 2019 at the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor-Sumedang, Indonesia. The research method used was a complete randomized design consisting of five treatments, namely, without silica, 6 ppm synthetic silica, 3 ppm rice husk silica, 6 ppm rice husk silica, and 9 ppm rice husk silica. Each treatment was repeated five times to obtain 25 units of the experiment. Growth parameters observed were plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh weight, and shelf life at room temperature. The observational data were then analysed by analysis of variance at 5% level and Duncan test at 5% level. The results showed that the concentration of silica sources affect plant height and number of leaves. The application of 6 ppm rice husk silica concentration increased the fresh weight of plants 26% higher than without the application of silica.