Organic Media Composition and Liquid Organic Fertilizer Concentration on Growth, Chlorophyll Content, and Anthocyanin of Red Ginger (Zingiber officinale var. rubrum)

Abstract

The demand for red ginger in both domestic and export markets continues to rise; however, local productivity remains insufficient due to conventional cultivation systems, the high cost of environmentally harmful inorganic fertilizers, and suboptimal growing media. At the same time, increasing public awareness of healthy products requires environmentally friendly cultivation innovations. Therefore, this study aims to provide a practical and sustainable cultivation solution to improve red ginger yield, safety, and applicability for farmers. This study examined the effect of combining organic growing media (cocopeat, rice husk charcoal, and bokashi) with different concentrations of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) on the growth and yield of red ginger. These combinations are expected to enhance media quality, improve nutrient uptake efficiency, and promote optimal vegetative growth and rhizome formation. The experiment was conducted at the Sei Semayang experimental field from July to October 2025 using a factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two factors. The first factor was growing media composition with three levels: 40%:30%:30%, 50%:25%:25%, and 60%:20%:20% (cocopeat, rice husk charcoal, and bokashi). The second factor was LOF application at four levels: control, 3 cc L^-1, 6 cc L^-1, and 9 cc L^-1. The results indicated that the best media composition was 60%:20%:20%. LOF application significantly affected chlorophyll and anthocyanin content, with the optimal dose at 3 cc L^-1. Higher doses reduced growth and yield.