GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TEA SEEDLINGS GMB 7 CLONE THROUGH ORGANIC FERTILIZER AND COW MANURE

Abstract

The amount of tea production in Indonesia has always experienced a downward trend. Tea plants' high and low production cannot be separated from soil quality and nutrient availability. The quality of topsoil is declining, so it is necessary to add cow manure and vermicompost to improve the soil's physical properties and positively influence the growth of tea seedlings. This study aims to determine the response of cow manure and vermicompost to the growth of tea seedlings and obtain the dose of cow manure and vermicompost that can provide the best results in the growth of tea seedlings. The experimental method used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of 10 treatments with various compositions of cow manure compost and vermicompost as a mixture of topsoil planting media added with Urea and EM4 fertilizers. The treatment arrangement was as follows: A = 100% topsoil (control); B = 200 g cow manure + 60 g vermicompost; C = 200 g cow manure + 80 g vermicompost ; D = 200 g cow manure + 100 g vermicompost; E = 300 g cow manure + 60 g vermicompost; F = 300 g cow manure + 80 g vermicompost G = 300 g cow manure + 100 g vermicompost; H = 450 g cow manure + 60 g vermicompost; I = 450 g cow manure + 80 g vermicompost; J = 450 g cow manure + 100 g vermicompost. The results showed that a combination of cow manure and vermicompost showed the best results on the chlorophyll index of the leaves. The topsoil treatment was far superior to the other treatments in terms of plant height, number of leaves, and leaf area parameters. It is suspected that andisol topsoil has a more stable physico-chemical balance supporting tea seedlings' growth.