Effects of water hyacinth (<i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> [Mart.] Solms) compost on growth and yield parameters of sorghum in Aceh Besar

Abstract Sorghum is a plant with broad adaptability and low water requirements, so it can be developed on marginal land to support food security and agribusiness initiatives. Applying organic fertilizer made from water hyacinth is one approach to increasing soil fertility on marginal land. Water hyacinth, an invasive aquatic plant known for its rapid growth and ability to overpopulate water bodies, is often regarded as a weed due to its disruptive impact on aquatic ecosystems. Utilizing this plant as organic fertilizer offers a sustainable solution to manage its proliferation while improving soil quality. This research aims to determine the effect of organic fertilizer from water hyacinth on sorghum plants on marginal land. The research was carried out from February to May 2024 at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Indrapuri, Aceh Besar Regency. This research used a non-factorial Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments of organic water hyacinth fertilizer, namely E0 (dose of 0 kg/m2 or without fertilization), E1 (dose of 1 kg/m2 equivalent to 10 tons/ha), E2 (dose 2 kg/m2 equivalent to 20 tons/ha), and E3 (dose of 3 kg/m2 is equivalent to 30 tons/ha). The research results showed that the best dose of organic water hyacinth fertilizer for the growth and yield of sorghum plants was 3 kg/m2 equivalent to 30 tons/ha.