Response of Red Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum var. rubrum) to the Frequency of Ecoenzyme Application and Dosage of Chicken Manure Fertilizer

Red fountain grass is an ornamental plant commonly used in residential areas and city parks. As the number of residential areas and city parks increases, so does the demand for this plant. However, the increase in market demand is not in line with the availability of the plant. This imbalance is caused by various factors, one of which is fertilization. Continuous use of inorganic fertilizers will cause a decline in soil quality. Reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers can be balanced by using organic fertilizers combined with ecoenzyme application to ensure adequate nutrient supply. The experimental design used was a Randomized Block Design arranged in a factorial layout. The first factor was ecoenzyme application frequency (no ecoenzyme, once a week, and once every two weeks). The second factor was the dose of chicken manure fertilizer (0 tons ha-1, 10 tons ha-1, and 20 tons ha-1). The results showed that the frequency of ecoenzyme application interacted with the dose of chicken manure fertilizer on the variables of plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of shoots, root volume, fresh plant weight, dry plant weight, and number of flowers. The optimal dosage of chicken manure fertilizer for promoting the growth and flowering of red fountain grass is 8.56 tons ha-1 and 9.28 tons ha-1 when applied with ecoenzyme. The appropriate application frequency of ecoenzyme is once every two weeks to enhance the growth and flowering of red fountain grass.