Publisher

CCRJOURNALCCRJOURNAL

Journal Pelita PerkebunanPelita Perkebunan Abstract

Watering is one of the keys to cocoa plant growth, where proper watering enhances plant development, while infrequent watering can lead to drought stress. Melatonin can help mitigate the negative impacts caused by drought stress. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates various physiological processes and is believed to enhance plant tolerance to stress while stimulating growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of melatonin application on the growth of cocoa seedlings under different watering frequency. The study was arranged by randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement, consisting of two factors with three replications. The main plot represents watering frequency of 3 days, 6 days, and 9 days. The subplot represented melatonin concentrations of 0 µM, 50 µM, 100 µM, and 150 µM. Observational parameters included plant growth based on plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and leaf area, as well as plant dry weight based on the dry weight of the shoot, roots, and total plant. The results showed that at the 3-day irrigation frequency, melatonin concentrations of 50-100 µM enhanced plant growth parameters including plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, as well as shoot dry weight and total plant dry weight. At the 6-day frequency, melatonin application up to 150 µM reduced growth and had no effect on total plant dry weight, but increased root dry weight. At the 9-day irrigation frequency with application of 150 µM melatonin improved all growth parameters and total plant dry weight. Therefore, melatonin can enhance drought tolerance and promote plant growth under limited irrigation conditions.

Conclusion

The application of melatonin can significantly enhance plant growth and dry weight across different watering frequencies.At a 3-day watering frequency, melatonin concentrations ranging from 50 to 100 µM positively affected growth variables.Furthermore, the application of 150 µM melatonin under the 9-day watering frequency led to significant improvements in all growth variables and total plant dry weight.These findings suggest that melatonin can effectively improve drought tolerance and promote plant growth under water-limited conditions.

Future Research

Penelitian lebih lanjut perlu dilakukan untuk menguji efektivitas berbagai jenis dan konsentrasi melatonin pada varietas kakao yang berbeda, serta interaksinya dengan faktor lingkungan lain seperti suhu dan intensitas cahaya. Selain itu, studi mendalam mengenai mekanisme molekuler bagaimana melatonin meningkatkan toleransi kekeringan pada kakao, termasuk analisis ekspresi gen dan jalur metabolisme yang terlibat, sangatlah penting. Terakhir, penelitian perlu difokuskan pada pengembangan strategi aplikasi melatonin yang optimal, seperti melalui perlakuan benih, penyemprotan daun, atau pemberian melalui sistem irigasi, untuk memaksimalkan manfaatnya dalam praktik budidaya kakao yang berkelanjutan dan adaptif terhadap perubahan iklim. Penelitian-penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan pemahaman yang lebih komprehensif tentang peran melatonin dalam meningkatkan produktivitas dan ketahanan tanaman kakao, serta memberikan solusi praktis bagi petani dalam menghadapi tantangan kekeringan.

References

1. The Effect of Melatonin Application and Watering Frequency on the Growth of Cocoa Seedlings (Theobroma... doi.org/10.22302/iccri.jur.pelitaperkebunan.v41i2.644The Effect of Melatonin Application and Watering Frequency on the Growth of Cocoa Seedlings Theobroma doi 10 22302 iccri jur pelitaperkebunan v41i2 644
2. DOI Name 10.1080 Values. name values index type timestamp data serv crossref email doiadmin namespace... doi.org/10.1080DOI Name 10 1080 Values name values index type timestamp data serv crossref email doiadmin namespace doi 10 1080
3. 0. f3okh nr wv vb m8zha up7 6b 6u qp wt eg oa1 fi jx gf xv6 kuf vv7vw lx ku 5j 51i hp t0peyoo bj ug la... doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.006770 f3okh nr wv vb m8zha up7 6b 6u qp wt eg oa1 fi jx gf xv6 kuf vv7vw lx ku 5j 51i hp t0peyoo bj ug la doi 10 3389 fpls 2019 00677

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