Vegetative growth response of Phalaenopsis sp. hybrids (Moon Orchid) in response to light intensity and fertilizer concentration

Abstract

Abstract Orchid plants are one of the most popular floral decorative plants. Among the several species of orchids, Phalaenopsis sp. or moon orchid is popular because of its distinctive color, shape, and size. However, orchids have a slow growth rate due to their long juvenile phase; thus, culture technique modification is required to boost their growth, i.e., shading and fertilizer application. This research was carried out to obtain the best shade percentage and fertilizer concentration to increase the growth of moon orchid. The experiment was conducted from June to December 2022 at the greenhouse of Bale Tatanan Padjadjaran, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, Sumedang, Jawa Barat. The experiment used a split-plot design of eight shade and fertilizer treatments. The plants were cultivated in two shading intensities, namely 60% and 70%, then treated with four different complete foliar fertilizer compound concentrations (1, 2, 3, and 4 g L-1). The results showed that 60% shade combined with 2 g L-1 of foliar fertilizer significantly increased the leaf area and root length, whereas 70% shade combined with 4 g L-1 significantly increased the leaf area, root number and CCI of moon orchid.