Application of Bokashi Organic and Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium Inorganic Fertilizers on the Growth and Yield of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a Hydroponic System at a Green House in Madiun, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban farming is a current trend because of the many benefits it can obtain economically, healthily, ecologically, and socially. Limited urban land, especially residential environments, requires practical and economical cultivation techniques, including a hydroponic system. Hence, the objective of this paper was to apply Bokashi organic and nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium (NPK) inorganic fertilizer to the growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in a hydroponic system at a greenhouse in Madiun, Indonesia using standard methods from December 2023 to January 2024. The study showed that using organic bokashi fertilizer with NPK inorganic fertilizer gave good results, which is no different from AB-Mix instant nutrition regarding growth and the harvested product. Organic fertilizer without additional NPK provides less than optimal growth due to a lack of macronutrients. Further, more applied research is needed to obtain a farmer-friendly hydroponic technology package that is truly applicable, easy, and cheap so that it can strengthen urban farming programs in many metropolitan areas in Indonesia.

Keywords

• hydroponics; bokashi organic fertilizer; NPK-fertilizer; urban farming; lettuce