Pengaruh Pemberian Dosis Pupuk Guano Dan Pupuk Fosfat Terhadap Pertumbuhan Tanaman Garut (Maranta Arundinacea L.) Varietas Lokal

The Effect of Guano Fertilizer and Phosphate Fertilizer Doses on The Growth of Local Varieties of Arrow (Maranta Arundinacea L.)

Abstract

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Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.) is a potential tuber crop as an alternative food ingredient because it has a low glycemic index, and the starch produced can be used as a substitute for wheat flour up to 50–100%. Although the demand for arrowroot tubers is increasing, its productivity is still relatively low so that more appropriate cultivation strategies are needed, one of which is through fertilization management. This study was conducted to determine the effect of guano and phosphate fertilizers on the vegetative growth of local arrowroot varieties. The research activities took place from February to June 2025 at the Tohudan Seed Garden, Karanganyar, with a completely randomized design (CRD) factorial with two factors, namely the dose of guano fertilizer (0, 250, 375, 500 g/plant) and the dose of TSP phosphate fertilizer (0, 3.75, 7.5, 11.25 g/plant), each with three replications. The parameters observed included plant height, number of stems, number of leaves, leaf color, root length, fresh shoot weight, and dry shoot weight. The results showed that guano application significantly affected plant height, number of stems, number of leaves, and fresh and dry weight of shoots. Conversely, neither phosphate fertilizer nor a combination of the two had a significant effect on any of these parameters. Thus, guano fertilizer has been shown to increase vegetative growth of arrowroot plants, while phosphate fertilizer has not provided optimal results in the early growth phase.