EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST AND BOKASHI ON NUTRIENT

CONTENT OF MUSTARD GREEN AND LETTUCE

BY:
Yacobus Sunaryo
Agricultural Faculty of Sarjanawita Tamansiswa University Yogyakarta
______________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT

This research dealing with the effect of vermicompost and bokashi on nutrient content of
mustard green and lettuce was conducted in July 2009 until January 2010. This experiment used
factorial 5 x 2 arranged in completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor
was the dosage of organic fertilizers that consisted of 5 levels: (1) P0: control (without organic
fertilizer, used NPK in recommended dosage). (2) P1: vermicompost in low dosage, (3) P2:
vermicompost in high dosage, (4) P3: bokashi in low dosage, (5) P4: bokashi in high dosage. The
second factor was the kinds of vegetable that consisted of 2 levels: (1) lettuce, and (2) mustard
green. Observations were objected on growth parameters such as total leaf number, leaf area, and
shoot dry weight. Whereas, the parameters of nutrient content that observed were content of
protein, vitamin C, Fe, and carotene. Results of the experiment indicated that mustard green and
lettuce treated by vermicompost as well as bokashi had better growth than that treated by NPK
fertilizer. Application of vermicompost as well as bokashi resulted protein content that did not
significantly different compare to NPK application on mustard green as well as on lettuce; and
also resulted carotene content did not significantly different on mustard green. Application of
vermicompost as well as bokashi produced higher vitamin C on mustard green as well as on
lettuce than that treated by NPK fertilizer. Application of vermicompost as well as bokashi
produced lower Fe content on mustard green as well as on lettuce; and also resulted lower
carotene content on lettuce than that treated by NPK fertilizer. Mustard green had higher nutrient
content than that of lettuce on all treatments.
Keywords: vermicompost, bokashi, mustard green, lettuce

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Introduction
Decreasing of land productivity as result of the usage of high dosage of chemical
fertilizers continuesly will become a main problem of food supply in the future. Food availability
in the future has to increase not only in quantity but also in quality aspect. The increasing
quantity of food supply will increase proportionaly with increasing of human population,
whereas the need of food quality will increase due to the better understanding of people to
nutrients content of food.
Nutrient substances of food such as carbohydrate, vitamin, protein and minerals are
chemical substances that are very important for growth and healthy of human body. Human body
as a biological machine to have good physiological process is not only to have enough supply of
water but also to have enough supply of carbohydrate as source of energy. Human body needs
also vitamin, protein and mineral to prevent and regenerate of cells and tissues that construct it.
These nutrient substances can be found in cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Examples of important vegetables produced intensively in the world are lettuce and
mustard green. Per 100 g, the leaf of mustard green contains 24 calories, 91.7 g H2O, 2.4 g
protein, 0.4 g fat, 4.3 g carbohydrate, 1.0 g fiber, 1.1 g ash, 160 mg Ca, 48 mg P, 2.7 mg Fe, 24
mg Na, 297 mg K, 1825 b -carotene equivalent, 0.06 mg thiamine, 0.14 mg riboflavin, 0.8 mg
niacin, and 73 mg ascorbic acid (Duke, 1983). Whereas, per 100g, the leaf of lettuce is reported
to contain 1.2 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 2.9 g carbohydrate, 22 mg Ca, 25 mg P, 0.5 mg Fe, 162 IU
vitamin A, 0.04 mg vitamin B and 8.0 mg vitamin C (Haryanto et al., 1995).
Vegetables as main sources of protein, vitamin and mineral have to be planted in better
cultivation techniques. For example, to get better vegetables in quality, now the usage of organic
fertilizers such as compost and manure has been already applicated intensively in vegetable
cultivation.
The usage of organic fertilizers can give more advantages compare to the usage of
chemical fertilizers. Organic fertilizer not only can encrease soil fertility, but also can create
more healthy ecosystem and environment. Nevertheless, the usage of organic fertilizers usually
results in less quantity of the yield due to the low content of macro esential elements contained in
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the organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are naturally-occurring fertilizers include manure,
slurry, worm casting, peat, seaweed, humic acid, brassin and guano (Anonim, 2010).
Currently, in Indonesia, worm casting (vermicompost) and bokashi are very common to
be used by farmers as organic fertilizers applied on their vegetable cultivation. Vermicompost is
the product or process of composting utilizing various species of worms, usually red wigglers,
white worms, , and earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or
food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast (Anonim, 2010). Vermicompost contains 1.1-4 %
N, 0.3-3.5% P, 0.2-2.1% K, 0.24-0.63% S, 0.3-0.6% Mg and 0.4-1.6 % Fe (Palungkung, 1999),
Bokashi is the product of organic matter fermentation utilizing effectiveness
microorganisms that can be used as inoculants to increase soil microorganism diversity (Sutanto,
2002). Raw materials used to make bokashi are manure, rice husk, molasses and some kinds of
effectiveness microorganism (Anonim, 1995).
Now, the demand of organic agricultural products significantly increase in the world.
Organic agriculture is the form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost,
biological pest control and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pest.
Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and
people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions,
rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects.

Materials and Methods

Some materials used in this research consisted of seeds of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), seeds
of mustard green (Brassica juncea), vermicompost, bokashi, NPK fertilizer (25 : 7 : 7), sand,
poly-bags 16 x 18 cm, and a simple plastic house in size 4 x 3 m. The height of the plastic house
was 2.5 m.
This research was conducted in experimental field of Agricultural Faculty of
Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa Yogyakarta from July 2009 until January 2010. This experiment used
factorial 5 x 2 arranged in completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor
was the dosage of organic fertilizers that consisted of 5 levels: (1) P0: control (without organic
fertilizer, used sand as planting media and NPK in recommended dosage). (2) P1: vermicompost
in low dosage, in ratio of vermicompost and sand (v/v): 1 : 2 (3) P2: vermicompost in high
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dosage, in ratio of vermicompost and sand (v/v): 1 : 1, (4) P3: bokashi in low dosage, in ratio of
bokashi and sand (v/v): 1 : 2 (5): P4: bokashi in high dosage.in ratio of bokashi and sand (v/v): 1
: 1. The second factor was the kinds of vegetable that consisted of 2 levels: (1) lettuce, and (2)
mustard green.
Seedlings of lettuce as well as mustard green were grown in seedling boxes with media
combination of sand and cow-manure in ratio (v/v): 2 : 1. 14 days after planting, seedlings were
removed and cultivated in poly-bags filled with planting media that appropriated to the first
factor applied. For control treatment (P0), 3 g NPK was added in sand planting media: 1.5 g at
the initial planting and 1.5 g at 14 days after planting. Each poly-bag was grown for one
seedling. Furthermore, poly-bags were placed in the simple plastic-house having screen of 60 %
light penetration. Plants were irrigated by spraying used well-water.
Lettuce plants as well as mustard green plants were harvested 35 days after planting.
Observations were objected on growth parameters such as total leaf number, leaf area, and shoot
dry weight. Whereas, the parameters of nutrient content that observed were content of protein,
vitamin C, Fe, and carotene. Leaf area was observed by using leaf area meter. Shoot dry weight
was observed after plants shoots were dried in the oven of temperature 800 C as long as 48 hours.
Observations of plant nutrient content were conducted in Biotechnology Laboratory of
Agricultural Technology Faculty of Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta by using
spectrophotometer analysis.
Analysis of variance was used to analyze the results of the observations. The significantly
different of the treatments was analyzed by using Duncants Multiple Range Test (DMRT).

Result and Discussion

The dosage of organic fertilizers and the kinds of vegetable have no interaction on the
leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight, and Fe content of plant (Table 1).
Table 1. shows that vermicompost as well as bokashi applications in low as well as in
high dosage result in no significantly different on total leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight
and Fe content of plants. Whereas, plants that get application of those fertilizers have higher
growth rate than plants fertilized by NPK (control). Observations on growth components indicate
that mustard green has higher growth rate than lettuce. Result of these growth component
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observations indicates that this research is in a line with the research conducted by Resoatmojo
(2002) on shallot, Hendrata et al. (2004) on red pepper, Supriadi et al. (2004) on spice plants,
and Suhardjo et al. (2003) on shallot. These four experiments were conducted on coastal sandy
land and indicated that application of manure could increase the yield and growth of plants.
Other experiments appropriating to this research are an experiment conducted by Arinong et al
(2008) on mustard green and an experiment conducted by Krishnawati (2003) on potato.
Aritonang et al. (2008) reported that application of bokashi can increase the growth and yield of
mustard green, whereas, Krishnawati (2003) indicated that application of vermicompost can
increase the vegetative growth of potato.

Table 1. Effect of dosage of organic fertilizers on total leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight
and Fe content of lettuce and mustard green.

P0
7.33
b
174.83
b
0.91
b

P1
10.67
a
673.81
a
1.90
a

P2
9.39
a
619.16
a
1.92
a

P3
10.72
a
670.41
a
1.94
a

P4
10.72
a
628.01
a
1.79
a

Kinds of
Vegetable
S1
S2
7.60
11.93
q
p
383.67
722.81
q
p
0.79
2.59
q
p

26.59
a

15.01
b

19.33
b

17.99
b

14.44
b

11.66
q

Dosage of organic fertilizers

Parameters
Leaf number (-)
Leaf area (cm2)
Shoot dry weight
(g)
Fe content (ppm)

26.06
p

The average number followed by the same letter do not significantly different base on Duncan-s Multiple Range
Test on level 5%.
P0: control (without organic fertilizer, used NPK in recommended dosage). P1: vermicompost in low dosage. P2:
vermicompost in high dosage. P3: bokashi in low dosage. P4: bokashi in high dosage. S1: lettuce. S2: mustard
green.

Better growth of plants as result of application of manure or compost can occur due to
positively effect of manure or compost on physically, biologically as well chemically soil
fertility. The increasing of water holding capacity, aeration, and essential elements availability
were the conditions of soil fertility that appropriate for plants to have better growth (Darliana,
2007).
The dosage of organic fertilizers and the kinds of vegetable have interaction on the
content of protein, vitamin C and carotene of plants (Table 2). Table 2 indicates that on lettuce
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plants, application of NPK fertilizer resulted in protein content no significantly different than that
of plants fertilized by vermicompost in low dosage. This application of NPK fertilizer on lettuce
resulted higher protein content than that of plants fertilized by vermicompost in high dosage,
bokashi in low dosage as well as in high dosage. Furthermore, this application of NPK on lettuce
produced carotene content higher than that of plants fertilized by bokashi in low dosage as well
as in high dosage.
Table 2. Interaction of dosage of organic fertilizers and the kinds of vegetable on protein
content, vitamin C content, and carotene content.
Parameters
P0S1
Protein (%)
3.51
bc
Vitamin C
6.66
(mg 100g-1)
g
Carotene
247.98
(g 100g-1)
d

P1S1
3.40
cd
7.34
f
208.22
ef

P2S1
2.61
fg
8.34
e
197.28
ef

Treatment combination
P3S1
P4S1
P0S2
P1S2
2.81
3.11
3.98
3.49
ef
de
a
cd
8.30
7.35
41.37
42.19
e
f
d
c
193.08 211.39 328.57 300.68
f
e
a
c

P2S2
3.82
ab
45.84
a
315.88
ab

P3S2
2.41
g
46.05
a
299.21
c

P4S2
3.28
Cd
44.55
B
311.40
Bc

The average number followed by the same letter do not significantly different base on Duncan-s Multiple Range
Test on level 5%.
P0: control (without organic fertilizer, used NPK in recommended dosage). P1: vermicompost in low dosage. P2:
vermicompost in high dosage. P3: bokashi in low dosage. P4: bokashi in high dosage. S1: lettuce. S2: mustard
green.

Table 2 shows that on mustard green plants, application of NPK resulted protein content
as well as carotene content that had no significantly different than application of vermicompost
in high dosage, but resulted protein content as well as carotene content higher than application of
vermicompost in low dosage, application of bokashi in low dosage as well as in high dosage.
Loevenstein et al. (1993) reported that protein constructs 20 30 % of dry matter on C3
vegetable plants such as lettuce and spinach that have enough supply of nitrogen. In the plants,
nitrogen has function to construct protoplasm, chlorophyll, nucleic acid, and amino acid. Dosage
of nitrogen application is depended on plant species fertilized. For foliage vegetable plants need
always high dosage of nitrogen.
Table 2 indicates also that on lettuce as well as on mustard green, application of
vermicompost in high dosage, and bokashi in low dosage resulted vitamin C content higher than
application of NPK, vermicompost in low dosage, and bokashi in high dosage. Observations on
Fe content indicated that application of vermicompost as well as bokhasi in low dosage as well
as in high dosage resulted lower Fe content than application of NPK. This result is not quite
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appropriate with the result of the experiment carried out by Zeidan (2007) on Lentil plants that
indicated that application of manure could increase the content of protein, P, K, Mn, Zn, and Fe
in lentil seeds.
Conclusions
Results of the experiment indicated that mustard green and lettuce that treated by
vermicompost as well as bokashi had better growth that that treated by NPK fertilizer.
Application of vermicompost as well as bokashi resulted protein content that did not
significantly different compare to NPK application on mustard green as well as on lettuce; and
also resulted carotene content did not significantly different on mustard green. Application of
vermicompost as well as bokashi produced higher vitamin C on mustard green as well as on
lettuce than that treated by NPK fertilizer. Application of vermicompost as well as bokashi
produced lower Fe content on mustard green as well as on lettuce; and also produced lower
carotene content on lettuce than that treated by NPK fertilizer. Mustard green had higher nutrient
content than that of lettuce on all treatments.

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This article is published in the Proceding International Seminar on Horticulture to Support Food
Security 2010, June 22-23, 2010, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia. Pp: A136 A140.

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