EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES AND RATES OF BIOCHAR SUBSTRATES ON GROWTH PERFORMANCES AND YIELD OF KAEMPFERIA PARVIFLORA WALL. EX. BAKER GROWN ON SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEM

Abstract

Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora Wall. Ex. Baker) is herbaceous plant belonging to the
Zingiberaceae family and famously used in treating metabolic ailments, increasing vitality to
human body, and relief gastrointestinal disorder. Recently, Black ginger has increased
attention from many researchers to identify their medicinal value to treat diseases.
However, agronomic aspect particularly from growth and yield performances of black ginger
is still lacking. Thus, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effects of
different types of biochar substrates and rates on growth and yield performances of black
ginger as an alternative planting method to replace soil cultivation method. By using
fertigation system as an adoption of soilless culture system, basic growth media were
combined with different types of biochar substrates and rates which treatments applied
were: i) cocopeat (CP) (control, 4kg), ii) CP (3.8kg) with 200g rice husk biochar (RH), iii) CP
(3.6kg) with 400g RH, iv) CP (3.4kg) with 600g RH, v) CP (3.8kg) with 200g palm kernel shell
biochar (PKS), vi) CP (3.6kg) with 400g PKS, vii) CP (3.4kg) with 600g PKS, viii) CP (3.8kg)
with 200g sugarcane baggase biochar (SB), ix) CP (3.6kg) with 400g SB, x) CP (3.4kg) with
600g SB, xi) CP (3.8kg) with 200g coconut shell biochar (CS), xii) CP (3.6kg) with 400g CS,
and xiii) CP (3.4kg) with 600g CS. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete
Block Design (RCBD) with two factors and three replications. As expected, biochar has
promising effects on the growth and yields of black ginger. CPSB-black ginger with 600g of
biochar had high and comparable value for number of leaves, plant height, plant per rhizome,
total fresh weight, fresh and dry weight (leaves, rhizomes, and roots), leaf area, and leaf area
index (LAI). Thus, CPSB combination with 600g rates of biochar could be suggested as
effective growing media for ginger cultivated in fertigation system.