Pengaruh Media Tumbuh Biochar Sekam Padi Terhadap Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit - BASRI A B; . CHAIRUNNAS; ABDUL AZIS (Buletin Palma, 2015)
ABSTRAK Bibit kelapa sawit yang baik salah satunya ditentukan oleh media tumbuh. Penggunaan kompos ataupun pupuk kandang sering berhasil memperbaiki produktivitas tanah dan  mensuplai unsur hara ke tanaman. Namun, keuntungan pembenah tanah seperti ini bersifat jangka pendek, terutama di daerah tropis, karena dekomposisi bahan organik yang diberikan berlangsung cepat dan biasanya mengalami mineralisasi menjadi CO2. Karbon hitam (C), yang disebut sebagai biochar dapat mengatasi beberapa keterbatasan suplai bahan organik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan komposisi media tumbuh biochar yang sesuai untuk pertumbuhan bibit kelapa  sawit. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan 10 perlakuan dan tiga ulangan. Perlakuan yang diuji adalah (1) Topsoil 100%, (2) Biochar sekam padi 100%, (3) Topsoil 50% + biochar sekam padi 50%, (4) Topsoil 50% + kompos 50%, (5) Topsoil 66,6% + biochar sekam padi 33,4%, (6) Topsoil 66,6% + kompos 33,4%, (7) Topsoil 33,3% + biochar sekam padi 33,3% + kompos 33,4%, (8) Topsoil 50% + biochar sekam padi 25% + kompos 25%, (9) Topsoil 40% + biochar sekam padi 40% + kompos 20%, (10) Topsoil 25%+ biochar sekam padi 50% + kompos 25%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pertumbuhan bibit kelapa sawit yang terbaik diperoleh pada media tumbuh campuran topsoil 40%+ biochar sekam padi 40% + kompos 20%.Kata kunci : Pembibitan kelapa sawit,  biochar sekam padi, media tumbuh. The Effect of Biochar Medium on Oil Palm Seedling Growth ABSTRACT Good oil palm seedlings among otyher thing determined by the growing medium. The use of compost or manure often managed to improve productivity, supply nutrient to the palm. But the advantage of using compost or manure to improve soil fertility are share term, especially in the tropic, because decomposition of organic material and usually under go CO2. Black carbon is called biochar can over come some of the limititations of the supply of organic. The research aims to obtain the composition of biochar growth media which suitable for growing of oil palm seedlings. The research was designed by using Randomized Block Design with 10 growth media treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were tested consist of (1) Topsoil 100%, (2) Rice husk biochar 100%, (3) Topsoil 50% + rice husk biochar 50%, (4) Topsoil 50% + compost 50%, (5) Topsoil 66,6% + rice husk biochar 33,4%, (6) Topsoil 66,6% + compost33,4%, (7) Topsoil 33,3% + rice husk biochar 33,3% + compost33,4%, (8) Topsoil 50% + rice husk biochar 25% + compost 25%, (9) Topsoil 40% + rice husk biochar 40% + compost  20%, (10) Topsoil 25% + rice husk biochar 50% + compost 25%. Result indicated that the best growth of oil palm seedlings was obtained on media topsoil 40% + rice husk biochar 40% + compost 20%.Keywords: Oil palm nursery, rice husk biochar, growth media.