Effect of Variability of Water Supply During 20 Days Before Harvest on the Morphological Characteristic of Red Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Red)

This study aimed to determine the effects of different watering intervals, amount of water, and their interactions during the 20 days before harvest on the morphological characteristics of Red Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Red). This plant grows upright with thick stems and strong roots, and it can thrive in various soil conditions, including marginal soils, making it easy to find and widely cultivated (Ariyanto et al., 2020). The grass was propagated using stem cuttings planted in polybags and maintained accordingly. At 90 days of age, the plants were trimmed. The subsequent stage involved a maintenance period of 50 days to allow regrowth, followed by a 20-day treatment period. A factorial, completely randomized design (CRD) was used, and two factors were used. The first factor was watering interval (K): K1 – every 3 days, K2 – every 6 days, and K3 – every 9 days. The second factor was the amount of water (P): P1 – 4.61 L, P2 – 3.46 L, P3 – 2.30 L, and P4 – 1.15 L. The grass was harvested 70 days after trimming. Variables measured included plant height, number of leaves, tillers, and leaf-to-stem ratio. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results showed that watering every 9 days produced the tallest plants, while the highest number of leaves was observed with a 6-day watering interval. An adequate amount of water improved the leaf-to-stem ratio, indicating better forage quality. Conversely, the number of tillers did not show significant changes, likely because treatments were applied after the early growth phase. Overall, Red Elephant Grass was able to grow optimally with less frequent watering and the appropriate amount of water.