Growth response of Podocarpus blumei seedling to slow-release fertilizer in the nursery

Podocarpus blumei which is known as local adaptive species that produce high biomass and is suitable for rehabilitation, especially in the gold mining area. One of the factors that support of plantation is availability of the seedlings. The good quality of seedlings depends not only on plant genetics but also on seedlings’ treatment. The research aims to determine the effect on plants after being given slow-release NPK fertilizer. The design used in this research is a complete randomized design with a single factor and continued with variance statistic test and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). There are five experimental units with three repetitions. In general plant growth varies, and the effect of NPK slow-release fertilizer is not significantly different from the control. The Research results of P3 (1,5 gram) showed the best performance of Podocarpus blumei with parameters height (3,41 cm), diameter (0,42 cm), and leaves number (6,67). In conclusion, slow-release fertilizer could stimulate the growth of Podocarpus blumei seedling in the nursery.