Bok choy (Brassica rapa L.) growth and yield in a floating system on freshwater swamps with various substrate composition and number of wicks

Bok choy (Brassica rapa L.) is commonly cultivated using a floating system, a sustainable agricultural method suitable for flooded areas. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield of Bok choy grown using different substrate compositions and numbers of wicks. This study implemented following Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors. The first factor was the substrate composition: topsoil (M1), soil + cow manure + sand (4:2:1) (M2), and soil + cow manure + rice husk biochar (4:2:1) (M3). The second factor was the number of wicks: two (S2), three (S3), and four (S4). The results demonstrated that substrate composition and the number of wicks significantly influenced water mobilization, soil moisture, and plant performance. Substrates containing manure with sand (M2) or rice husk biochar (M3) showed superior growth and yield compared to topsoil (M1). Additionally, using three wicks (S3) optimized water absorption, resulting in the best plant growth. The combination of soil + cow manure + rice husk biochar (M3) with three wicks (S3) produced the highest growth and yield of Bok choy in floating systems within freshwater swamp conditions. These findings provide practical applications for improving sustainable Bok choy cultivation in swampy and flood-prone areas.