<![CDATA[Tanaman bawang putih (Allium sativum L.) banyak dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat Indonesia sebagai rempah, bahan industri dan obat-obatan, sehingga membuat permintaan terus meningkat. Namun belum diimbangi dengan produksi bawang putih di Indonesia. Peningkatan teknologi budidaya yang dapat diterapkan adalah penggunaan mulsa dan jarak tanam. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh interaksi antara mulsa dan jarak tanam terhadap kondisi lingkungan mikro, pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman bawang putih. Penelitian dilaksanakan bulan Juni sampai September 2023 berlokasi di Tawangargo, Karangploso, Kabupaten Malang, Jawa Timur. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok faktorial dengan 6 kombinasi perlakuan dan diulang sebanyak 4 kali, dengan faktor pertama mulsa dan kedua jarak tanam. Data dianalisis menggunakan ANOVA, apabila terdapat interaksi nyata maka dilanjutkan dengan Uji BNJ pada taraf 5%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan penggunaan mulsa jerami dan MPHP meningkatkan stabilitas suhu dan kelembaban tanah baik minimum maupun maksimum. Perlakuan mulsa dan jarak tanam memberi interaksi nyata terhadap bobot segar dan bobot kering umbi, susut bobot umbi dan hasil umbi per hektar. Penggunaan mulsa jerami dan MPHP meningkatkan panjang tanaman, jumlah daun, diameter batang dan luas daun, serta menghasilkan bobot segar dan kering tanaman, jumlah siung, dan diameter umbi yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan perlakuan tanpa mulsa. Jarak tanam 12,5 x 12,0 cm dan 15,0 x 10,0 cm menghasilkan kondisi lingkungan mikro, pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman bawang putih yang sama. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is widely utilized in Indonesia as a spice, industrial ingredient, and medicinal material, resulting in increasing demand. However, this growing demand has not been matched by garlic production in Indonesia. One approach to enhancing cultivation technology involves the application of mulch and plant spacing. This study aimed to examine the interaction effects of mulch and plant spacing on the microenvironment, growth, and yield of garlic. The research was conducted from June to September 2023 in Tawangargo, Karangploso, Malang Regency, East Java. A factorial randomized block design (RBD) with six treatment combinations and four replications was employed, with mulch as the first factor and plant spacing as the second factor. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, followed by the Honest Significant Difference (HSD) at a 5% significance level for significant interactions. The results showed that the application of straw mulch and silver black plastic mulch improved soil temperature and moisture stability for both minimum and maximum conditions. The interaction of mulch and plant spacing significantly influenced fresh and dry bulb weights, bulb shrinkage weight, and bulb yield per hectare. Straw mulch and silver black plastic mulch enhanced plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, and leaf area, resulting in higher fresh and dry plant weights, number of cloves, and bulb diameters compared to treatments without mulch. Plant spacing of 12.5 × 12.0 cm and 15.0 × 10.0 cm showed no significant differences in microenvironmental conditions, plant growth, and yield of garlic.]]>
