Abstract
Experiments were performed to determine the effect of allelochemicals released by weed clipping on the growth of vanilla cuttings. The objective of these experiments was to find out safe plant material for mulching vanilla plantation. The first experiment was conducted in the wet season, where two nodes cuttings were transplanted into 5 groups of pots containing topsoil and mulched with grass (G), fern (F), taro (T), dry leaf (DL) and without mulch as control cuttings (C). The second experiment was under dry season but using a similar procedure like that in the first experiment except dry leaf was replaced with coconut husk (CH). These two experiments were using 8 replicates and grown in a shaded greenhouse. Phenolic compounds in weed clippings were examined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. This study found that fern and taro clipping decreased soil pH, delayed emergence of new root and bud burst in vanilla cutting. By contrast, grass clipping, dry leaf and coconut husk did not decrease soil pH and did not delay root emergence and bud burst. The growth rate of the new stem in grass added plant was 1.4 folds relative control but only 0.4 fold in taro added plants. It is concluded that vanilla plant resistant to phenolic compound released by grass clipping, but susceptible to phenolic compound released by taro clipping.
PDF Adiputra_2019_IOP_Conf._Ser.__Earth_Environ._Sci._399_012084.pdf
Study Snapshot
Vanilla plants are resistant to phenolic compounds released by grass clipping, but susceptible to phenolic compounds released by taro clipping.
Population: Vanilla cuttings grown in pots with various mulch materials
Methods: Controlled experimental study
Outcomes: Soil pH, root emergence time, bud burst time, stem growth rate
Results: Grass mulch increased stem growth 1.4-fold, while taro mulch reduced it to 0.4-fold vs. control.