Application of local seaweed extracts to increase the growth and yield eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

<p>Eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.) is one of the horticultural vegetables that is widely distributed in Indonesia. It is just like other vegetables, and eggplant offers a variety of health benefits. Seaweed is one of a group of marine plants that containing many important minerals. Seaweed also contains a growth-promoting hormone. This research aims to study the effect of application of various types of local seaweed extracts on growth and yield of eggplant. The study was conducted using Randomized Block Design (RBD) which consist of 6 treatments: P0 = without fertilizer (control), P₁ = fertilizer NPK, P2 = Seaweed <i>Cauelerpa</i> sp, P₃ = Seaweed <i>Sargassum</i> sp, P₄ = Seaweed <i>Kappaphycus alvarezii</i>, P₅ = Seaweed <i>Ulva</i> sp. Each treatment is repeated 4 times to obtain 24 units of the experiment. The results of this research showed that the application of seaweed extracts significantly affected on growth and yield of eggplant plants (plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh weight of plant, dry weight of plant, fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight and chlorophyll content but did not show significant on first flowering appear, roots fresh weight and root dry weight. All seaweeds show a potential to replace the use of NPK in improving the growth and yield of eggplant.</p>