Fitotoksisitas Ekstrak Organ Talas (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) terhadap Perkecambahan Benih dan Pertumbuhan Awal Bibit Praxelis clematidea

Praxelis clematidea is an invasive weed that can interfere with crop production, highlighting the need for environmentally friendly weed management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of taro (Colocasia esculenta) extracts on the germination and early growth of P. clematidea. A factorial Randomized Block Design was employed with two factors: extract formulation and dosage. The formulations consisted of a control (E0), corm extract (E1), stem extract (E2), leaf extract (E3), and a mixture of corm, stem, and leaf extracts (E4). Five dosages were tested: 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 L/ha, with four replications. The measured parameters included germination, hypocotyl length, root length, total seedling length, dry weight, vigor indices I and II, and root-to-shoot ratio. Analysis of variance showed that formulation and dosage significantly affected most parameters, while their interaction was significant for germination, hypocotyl length, total seedling length, dry weight, and both vigor indices. Among the tested treatments, E4 at 7.5 L/ha produced the lowest mean germination count and dry weight, whereas E2 at 10 L/ha resulted in the shortest total seedling length and the lowest vigor index I. Root length showed a variable response, with no significant interaction between formulation and dosage. These findings demonstrate the phytotoxic potential of taro extracts against P. clematidea during germination and early growth. Further research is needed to validate their effectiveness and determine suitable application rates under field conditions.