PENGARUH MASA TUNGGU PENANAMAN BIBIT DAN ASAL TUMBUH STEK TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN TANAM TEBU (Saccharum officinarum L.)

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a vital plantation commodity serving as the primary raw material for the sugar industry. However, productivity in Indonesia remains low due to suboptimal cultivation technologies—particularly regarding seedling provision—as well as issues concerning the waiting period before planting and the specific section of the stalk (top, middle, or bottom) used for cuttings. Sugarcane propagation is typically carried out vegetatively using stalk cuttings (mule). This study was conducted from May to July 2026 in the paddy fields of Temurejo Hamlet, Sumberjambe Village, Bangorejo District, Banyuwangi Regency, employing a Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors: the waiting period before planting (0, 2, 4, and 6 days) and the stalk section source (top, middle, and bottom). The research results indicate that the waiting period before planting significantly affects all growth parameters. The treatment with no waiting period P0 yielded the best growth, with a plant height of 201.94 cm, stem diameter of 1.88 cm, 10.00 leaves, 3.44 tillers, root length of 11.17 cm, fresh weight of 0.51 kg, and dry weight of 0.22 kg. A 6 day waiting period P3 resulted in the lowest values for most parameters. The source of the cutting did not significantly influence growth. Shoot cuttings S1 tended to produce higher average values for several parameters, particularly root length 12.17 cm, fresh weight 0.43 kg, and dry weight 0.19 kg. Based on these results, planting seedlings immediately after cutting P0 provides the best initial sugarcane growth.

Keywords: mule seeds, origin of cuttings, plant growth, sugar cane
waiting period for planting.