The effects of water treatments and weed Borreria alata densities on the growth and production of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban

English. Centella asiatica is a crop that consists some medicinal components. The component is determined as asiaticoside which is classified as glycoside. The component is used for several diseases. As a medicine, centella can be mixed with other ingredients or used solely. The experiment was carried out to study the effect of water treatment and Borreria alata weed densities on the growth and yield of Centella asiatica. It was conducted at the green house of Research Institute of Food Crops Biotechnology, Bogor from September 1996 to March 1997. The experiment were arranged in complete randomized design with two factors. First factor was the water treatments: are 3 mm, 5 mm and 7 mm/day, combined with four weed densities: 0, 1, 3, and 5 plants/pot. Both treatments were repeated three times. The results showed that there was no significant interaction between the treatments, but single factor gave significant response to the growth and yield of C. asiatica. The treatment of 7 mm/day produced the highest number of leaves, number of tillers, leaf area index and dry weight C. asiatica leaves. The water need of C. asiatica is as high as vegetables or palawija crop needs. Under the treatment of 3 mm/day this plant could survive up to 7 WAT only. The critical period of this weed was from 10 to 12 WAT. The treatment of weed density showed significant response on the number of leaves and the number of tillers started 8 WAT, also leaf area index and dry weight of C. asiatica leaves at 24 WAT. The increase in weed density suppressed the growth and yield of C. asiatica. The highest percentage of weed coverage was at 16 WAT

Indonesian. Pegagan merupakan salah satu tanaman yang berhasiat obat, mengandung asiatikosida yang merupakan glikosida dan berhasiat untuk bermacam-macam penyakit. Penggunaannya sebagai obat, dapat berupa ramuan maupun bahan tunggal. Untuk mengetahui pengaruh tingkat pemberian air dan kepadatan gulma Borreria alata terhadap pertumbuhan dan produksi daun pegagan (Centella asiatica), telah dilaksanakan percobaan di rumah kaca Balitbio Tanaman Pangan Cimanggu, Bogor mulai bulan September 1996 sampai dengan Maret 1997. Percobaan disusun menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap faktorial dengan tiga kali ulangan. Faktor pertama terdiri atas tiga taraf pemberian air (3, 5, dan 7 mm/hari) dan faktor kedua adalah empat taraf kepadatan gulma meliputi tanpa gulma, 1, 3 dan 5 gulma/pot. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa interaksi antara pemberian air dengan kepadatan gulma tidak nyata, sedang pengaruh faktor tunggal nyata terhadap pertumbuhan dan produksi pegagan. Pemberian air 7 mm/hari memberikan hasil yang terbaik terhadap jumlah daun, anakan, ILD, dan bobot kering daun pegagan. Pada tingkat pemberian air 3 mm/hari pegagan hanya mampu bertahan sampai 7 MST. Dengan demikian kebutuhan air pegagan setara dengan palawija atau sayuran. Pada umur 10 sampai 12 MST, gulma berada pada fase periode kritis. Tingkat kepadatan gulma berpengaruh nyata mulai umur 8 MST terhadap jumlah daun, jumlah anakan demikian juga indeks luas daun dan bobot kering daun pegagan pada 24 MST. Dengan meningkatnya kepadatan gulma pertumbuhan dan produksi pegagan tertekan. Presentase penutupan gulma terbesar terjadi pada 16 MST