Effect of light intensity on growth, yield and indigo content of Indigofera tinctoria L.

Abstract

Synthetic dyes can increase the amount of pollutants that become a serious problem in the environment. The use of synthetic dyes can be replaced with dyes from natural ingredients, namely Indigofera tinctoria. These plants are a source of blue natural dyes because it contains indigo. The content of indigo is very responsive to light. The impact of climate change is a serious threat to the supply of natural dyes. So, judge the suitability of the environment and indigo content under climate change are essential for the sustainable production of natural dyes Indigofera tinctoria. The research aimed to examine the role of light on the growth, yield, and indigo content in Indigofera tinctoria. The study was conducted using a randomized complete design with one factor, namely light intensity with 3 levels namely light intensity 100%, 50%, and 25%, with 9 replications. Light intensity affected the number of leaves, nodes, fresh weight, and indigo content. The highest number of leaves, nodes, and fresh weight were at 100% light intensity, while the highest indigo content was at 25% light intensity. The fresh weight with indigo paste is positively correlated. The higher the fresh weight of the plant, the more paste will be produced. However, the content of indigo was negatively correlated with indigo paste.