Media Limbah Pelepah Pisang (Musa Paradisiaca) Sebagai Alternatif Pengganti Rockwool Untuk Tanaman Bayam Merah (Amaranthus Tricolor L.) Sistem Hidroponik

Abstract

Hydroponic media generally use rockwool, but it is relatively difficult to obtain and expensive. The utilization of banana stem waste can be an alternative to rockwool. This study investigated the influence and differences in red spinach growth using rockwool media and banana midrib waste media in an NFT hydroponic experiment in a greenhouse using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The experiment involved seven treatments: (a) rockwool, (b) pipe wet frond waste media, (c) pipe dry frond waste, (d) cut wet frond waste, (e) cut dry frond waste, (f) banana frond skerwoll, and (g) skerwooll with starch. The measured indicators were the percentage of seed growth in each type of medium and plant growth up to yield product in the hydroponic systems. The results revealed that the percentage of germination rates on skerwool and wet pipe fronds was between 85-95%. Skerwoll media, both with or without starch, produced the highest leaf number, with an average of 11.8 leaves, up to 8.75% more than rockwool. The findings also indicated similar results for leaf area, root length, and fresh weight yield. This research demonstrates the potential use of banana stem waste as a hydroponic media to replace expensive commercial media such as rockwool. In conclusion, this research demonstrates the potential use of banana stem waste as a hydroponic media to replace expensive commercial media such as rockwool. Skerwoll with starch proved an appropriate substitute, offering similar or better growth results than rockwool while providing a more cost-effective and sustainable solution for hydroponic systems.