Effects Of Reproductive Pruning On Yield And Yield Components Of Jicama (Pachyrhizus Erosus L. Urban) On Coastal Land

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of reproductive pruning at various time intervals on yield components and yields of bengkuang tubers planted in coastal areas. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Garden of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Borneo, North Kalimantan. Experiments with experimental plots designed using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with one factor. The treatments given consisted of 5 time intervals of reproductive pruning, namely pruning at intervals of 3, 7, 11 and 15 days and 1 treatment without pruning. Parameters observed were number of tubers and tuber weight, tuber diameter (cm), tuber length (cm), plant biomass (g), and harvest index (%). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Previously, the data were tested for normality assumptions using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Furthermore, the data that had been tested normal were analyzed using Duncan's test at a 5% level of negligent. If the assumption of normality of the data was not met, then the data was transformed before performing the analysis of variance. To get the optimum pruning interval, a regression analysis was performed using a regression model. The results showed that there was an effect of reproductive pruning with varying intervals on the yield and yield components of bengkuang tubers (Pachyrhizus erosus L. Urban) on tuber diameter, length, and volume, sweet potato harvest index and yam tuber weight per plant except for the number of tubers planted and plant biomass. Meanwhile, the optimum pruning interval resulted in the yield component and the best yield of bengkuang tubers was with a pruning interval of 7 days and the weight of sweet potatoes was 990.50 g per tuber.