The Effect of Melatonin Application and Watering Frequency on the Growth of Cocoa Seedlings (Theobroma cacao L.)
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Abstract
Watering is one of the keys to cocoa plant growth, where proper watering enhances plant development, while infrequent watering can lead to drought stress. Melatonin can help mitigate the negative impacts caused by drought stress. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates various physiological processes and is believed to enhance plant tolerance to stress while stimulating growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of melatonin application on the growth of cocoa seedlings under different watering frequency. The study was arranged by randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement, consisting of two factors with three replications. The main plot represents watering frequency of 3 days, 6 days, and 9 days. The subplot represented melatonin concentrations of 0 ?M, 50 ?M, 100 ?M, and 150 ?M. Observational parameters included plant growth based on plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and leaf area, as well as plant dry weight based on the dry weight of the shoot, roots, and total plant. The results showed that at the 3-day irrigation frequency, melatonin concentrations of 50-100 ?M enhanced plant growth parameters including plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, as well as shoot dry weight and total plant dry weight. At the 6-day frequency, melatonin application up to 150 ?M reduced growth and had no effect on total plant dry weight, but increased root dry weight. At the 9-day irrigation frequency with application of 150 ?M melatonin improved all growth parameters and total plant dry weight. Therefore, melatonin can enhance drought tolerance and promote plant growth under limited irrigation conditions.
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How to Cite
Zakariyya, F., Novelia, E. P., Subroto, G., & Avivi, S. (2025). The Effect of Melatonin Application and Watering Frequency on the Growth of Cocoa Seedlings (Theobroma cacao L.). Pelita Perkebunan (a Coffee and Cocoa Research Journal), 41(2), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.22302/iccri.jur.pelitaperkebunan.v41i2.644
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References
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Ren, J., J. Ye, L. Yin, G. Li, X. Deng, and S. Wang. 2020. Exogenous melatonin improves salt tolerance by mitigating osmotic, ion, and oxidative streses in maize seedlings. Agronomy. 10 (5): 1–15.
Sharma, A., J. Wang, D. Xu, S. Tao, S. Chong, D. Yan. 2020. Melatonin regulates the functional components of photosynthesis, antioxidant system, gene expression, and metabolic pathways to induce drought resistance in grafted Carya cathayensis plants melatonin regulates the functional components. Science of the Total Environment. 713:136-675.
Sugianto, dan K. D. Jayanti. 2021. Pengaruh komposisi media tanam terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil bawang merah. Agrotechnology Research Journal. 5(1): 38 – 43.
Tan, D. X., R. Hardeland, and A. Coto-Montes. 2016. Melatonin and its metabolites: Their significance in plant resistance to stress. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 11(8): e1181591. https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2016.1181591
Yang, X., Y. Li, and L. Zhang. 2020. Melatonin improves drought tolerance in plants: a review. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 15(6): 1740953.
Zakariyya, F., dan D. Indradewa. 2018. Drought stress affecting growth and some physiological characters of three cocoa clones at seedling phase. Pelita Perkebunan. 34(3): 156-165.
Zhang, N., Y. Liu, X. Zhang, and J. Li. 2019. Effects of melatonin on drought resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Growth Regulation. 87(1): 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-018-0456-6
Zhang, N., Q. Sun, H. Zhang, Y. Cao, S. Weeda, S. Ren, and Y. Guo. 2016. Roles of melatonin in abiotic stress resistance in plants. Journal of experimental Botany. 66(3): 647-656.
Arnao, M. B., and J. Hernández-Ruiz. 2019. Melatonin: A new plant hormone and/or a plant master regulator?. Trends Plant Science. 24: 38-48.
Arnao, M. B., and J. Hernández-Ruiz. 2020. Melatonin in Flowering, Fruit Set and Fruit Ripening. Plant Reproduction. 33 (2): 77–87.
Bhandari, R., H. Paudel, S. A. Alharbi, M. J. Ansari, M. R. Poudel, M. P. Neupane, P. Solanki, and U. K. S. Kushwaha. 2024. Evaluating stress tolerance indices for their comparative validity to access terminal heat stress and heat drought tolerance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 18: 101506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101506
Boer, R. A., Buono, Sumaryanto E, Surmaini A, Rakhman W, Estiningtyas K, Kartikasari, Fitriyani. 2009. Agriculture Sector. Technical Report on Vulnerability and Adaptation Assesment to Climate Change for Indonesia‟s Second National Communication. Jakarta. Ministry of Environment and United National Development Programme.
BPS. 2021. Statistik Kakao Indonesia. Jakarta: BPS.
Huang, B., Y. E. Chen, Y. Q. Zhao, C. B. Ding, J. Q. Liao, and C. Hu. 2019. Exogenous melatonin alleviates oxidative damages and protects photosystem ii in maize seedlings under drought stress. Frontier in Plant Science. 10: 677. doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.00677.
Indri, Y. 2020. Pengaruh volume penyiraman air terhadap pertumbuhan benih tanaman kakao. Thesis. Jurusan Agroteknologi, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Andalas.
Ren, J., J. Ye, L. Yin, G. Li, X. Deng, and S. Wang. 2020. Exogenous melatonin improves salt tolerance by mitigating osmotic, ion, and oxidative streses in maize seedlings. Agronomy. 10 (5): 1–15.
Sharma, A., J. Wang, D. Xu, S. Tao, S. Chong, D. Yan. 2020. Melatonin regulates the functional components of photosynthesis, antioxidant system, gene expression, and metabolic pathways to induce drought resistance in grafted Carya cathayensis plants melatonin regulates the functional components. Science of the Total Environment. 713:136-675.
Sugianto, dan K. D. Jayanti. 2021. Pengaruh komposisi media tanam terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil bawang merah. Agrotechnology Research Journal. 5(1): 38 – 43.
Tan, D. X., R. Hardeland, and A. Coto-Montes. 2016. Melatonin and its metabolites: Their significance in plant resistance to stress. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 11(8): e1181591. https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2016.1181591
Yang, X., Y. Li, and L. Zhang. 2020. Melatonin improves drought tolerance in plants: a review. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 15(6): 1740953.
Zakariyya, F., dan D. Indradewa. 2018. Drought stress affecting growth and some physiological characters of three cocoa clones at seedling phase. Pelita Perkebunan. 34(3): 156-165.
Zhang, N., Y. Liu, X. Zhang, and J. Li. 2019. Effects of melatonin on drought resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Growth Regulation. 87(1): 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-018-0456-6
Zhang, N., Q. Sun, H. Zhang, Y. Cao, S. Weeda, S. Ren, and Y. Guo. 2016. Roles of melatonin in abiotic stress resistance in plants. Journal of experimental Botany. 66(3): 647-656.