GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CHLOROPHYL CONTENT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA CUTTING STEM AS AFFECTED BY PEAT SOIL-REDUCED GROWING MEDIA AND HORMONE

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (Lam.) has become highly valued. Vegetative propagation methods can address the limitations and make the cultivation process simpler. Our research aimed to determine the best conditions for early growth and chlorophyll content of Moringa oleifera cutting stems through the use of different planting media and hormone applications. A 3x3 factorial pot experiment design was used, with three types of growing media (100% peat soil (PS), 50% peat soil (PS) + 50% mushroom baglog waste (MBW), and 50% peat soil (PS) + 50% husk charcoal (HC) and three hormone treatments (coconut water, atonik (3 ml L -1 water), and 100 ppm rootone-F) being tested. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. Results showed that the use of a 50% peat soil (PS) + 50% husk charcoal (HC) and the application of rootone-F significantly had a significant impact on the chlorophyll content. Neither the use of 50% peat soil (PS) + 50% husk charcoal (HC) nor the application of rootone-F, singly, was favorable for promoting bud length, root volume, and chlorophyll content. It is recommended to use 50% peat soil (PS) + 50% husk charcoal (HC) media and rootone-F for successful vegetative propagation and subsequent domestication.