Respon Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Tomat Ceri (Lycopersicum esculentum var. cerasiforme) terhadap Pemberian Pupuk KNO3 dan Etilen

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the growth, development, and yield responses of cherry tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum var. cerasiforme) to the application of KNO3 and ethylene fertilizer. The study, conducted in a garden located in Kebonsari Village, Sumbersari District, Jember Regency, used a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors. The first factor was the application of KNO3 (0 grams, 4.5 grams, 9 grams, and 13.5 grams), while the second factor was the exogenous application of ethylene (0 ml/l, 50 ml/l, 100 ml/l, and 150 ml/l). The parameters observed included plant height, number of leaf stalks, leaf chlorophyll index, number of flowers, flower emergence rate, fruit weight, number of fruits, fruit’s diameter, and harvest time. The results of the ANOVA analysis showed that there was no interaction between KNO3 and ethylene treatments, but KNO3 and ethylene treatments significantly affected growth, development, and yield parameters. Application of KNO3 fertilizer at a dose of 9 grams/polybag gave the best results in the average value of plant height, number of leaf stalks, flower emergence rate, fruit weight, and fruit diameter. Meanwhile, application of ethylene at a concentration of 150 ml/l significantly affected the leaf chlorophyll index, fruit weight, number of fruits, and simultaneous harvest time. These results indicate that application of KNO3 fertilizer can increase the growth, development, and yield of cherry tomato plants, while ethylene at a concentration of 150 ml/l causes the plants to only experience 1 harvest.