Impact of Young Coconut Waste Biochar on Growth Response of Mustard (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis var. Samhong King)

¹ Agrotechnology Department, Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia 23111
² Research Center for Biochar and Sustainable Tropical Forests, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia 23111

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The use of biochar made from young coconut waste as a soil amendment, particularly for Samhong King mustard greens (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis var. Samhong King). Although biochar has been extensively studied, its effectiveness depends heavily on the raw material and application method, while scientific evidence regarding biochar derived from young coconut waste remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the effect of young coconut waste biochar on the growth and yield of Samhong King mustard plants. The study employed a non-factorial randomized block design with seven treatments and three replications, including control, urea fertilizer, cow manure, biochar, embedded biochar, and their combinations. The observed parameters included plant height, number of leaves, fresh shoot weight, and dry shoot weight. Data analysis utilized an ANOVA test followed by Duncan's multiple range test at the 5% significance level. The results indicated that the application of young coconut waste biochar, whether in the form of biochar or embedded biochar, had no significant effect on the growth of Samhong King mustard greens. The application of biochar at 10 tons ha⁻¹ showed a positive numerical trend, yielding an average plant height of 28.43 cm and leaf number of 27.43, suggesting its potential as a soil amendment to support plant growth.