The Effect of Media Composition and Organic Fertilizer Concentration on the Growth and Yield of Red Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

The red ginger (Zingiber officinale. Rosc.) is an annual herbaceous plant of high economic value, with a harvest of 10-12 months. The export demand of red ginger rhizome has increased up to 20-22% for the last five years and it has not been able to be sufficed by the red ginger producers in Indonesia. This situation happens because of the very limited amount of red ginger production area, a still very conventional method of red ginger cultivation and the low quantity of organic substances in the soil. Other than that the use of expensive inorganic fertilizers often increases the production cost of red ginger, besides from being unsafe to both the environment and also the health of humans. Various technological breakthrough innovations have been done in order to meet the needs of red ginger export, one of which is the use of the polybag cultivation system which utilizes the organic waste as a media composition. The combination of organic substances with the application of liquid organic fertilizers was expected to increase and improve the growth and yield of red ginger rhizome. The research was conducted at Agrotechnopark experimental field Jember University from January 2013 until June 2014. The aim of field experiment was to find out the effect of media compositions and organic fertilizer concentrations on growth and yield of red ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale. Rosc.). The field experiment factorials (3x4) used in randomized block designs with three replications. The first factor is the media compositions (bokashi: charcoal husk: coco peat) consisting of three levels: M1 (40%: 30%: 30%), M2 (50%:25%: 25%), and M3 (60%: 20%: 20%) and the second factor being the organic fertilizer concentration consisting of four levels: P1 (0 cc/l), P2(1.5 cc/l), P3 (3 cc/l), and P3 (4.5 cc/l). The results of this study concluded that a single factor of various composition media (M) was not significantly influence on all the parameters of growth and yield of red ginger rhizome. The single factor of concentrations of liquid organic fertilizer (P) and the interaction of two factors treatments (MP) was significantly influence on all parameters of the growth and yield of red ginger rhizome. The combination of treatments (M3P3) gave the best response to all parameters: plant height (58.8cm), number of leaves (25.2), number of buds (35.6), rhizome fresh weight per plant (2329.64g), total biomass (258.14g), zingeron level (1.88%) and oleoresin level (1.57%).