EFFECT OF PGPR AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZER DOSAGE ON BIOMASS YIELD AND SINENSETIN CONTENT LEVEL IN CAT’S WHISKERS PLANT (ORTHOSIPHON ARISTATUS B. MIQ.)

• Main Author: Ardine Zhafira, Saskia
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/60992
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Cat’s whiskers plant is one of medicinal plants that has already been cultured in Indonesia which can help relieving several illnesses such as hypertension, hepatitis, and diabetes because of its metabolic products such as sinensetin. Demand of cat’s whiskers on domestic market reached 20-40 tonnes per year while demand on overseas reached 180 tonnes per hectare from 1990 until 2005. Meanwhile cat’s whiskers productivity on Indonesia considered as low, ranging from 0,25 tonnes/ha at Sukabumi in 2015 to 0,253 tonnes/ha at West Java Province in 2016. In order to increase cat’s whiskers productivity, one of several solutions that can be used is altering the plant’s growth medium by adding PGPR and chemical fertilizer. PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) is a cluster of microorganisms that live around root area of a plant which has many benefits for plants such as bio protectant, bio stimulant, and bio fertilizer abilities. Chemical fertilizer can supply accurate dosage of nutrients for plant’s needs. The purpose of this study is to determine each optimum dosage of PGPR and chemical fertilizer on leaf biomass and sinensetin content level on cat’s whiskers plant. The study was conducted utilizing 2-factor randomized block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications on dry cultivated land which was located on Tanjungsari Village, West Java. Analysis of research data was carried out at SITH laboratory from October 2021 until March 2021. From the analysis result, optimum dosage obtained on PGPR for leaf biomass and sinensetin content level was 3 ml/L and 6 ml/L. Meanwhile, optimum dosage obtained on chemical fertilizers for leaf biomass and sinensetin content level were 5,9 grams of urea, 3,44 grams of KCl, and 2,76 grams of TSP.