Pakcoy is one of Indonesia's most popular leafy vegetables due to its high nutritional value and short cultivation cycle, typically reaching harvest within 30–40 days. Growing consumer demand has encouraged farmers to intensify production, but long-term reliance on synthetic fertilizers has raised concerns about declining soil quality, increasing production costs, and environmental sustainability. These challenges have driven interest in combining organic and inorganic fertilizers to achieve higher yields without compromising soil health.
The researchers from Universitas Quality Berastagi explored whether fermented goat urine, used as a liquid organic fertilizer, could complement conventional NPK fertilizer. Goat urine naturally contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and plant growth-promoting compounds, making it a promising agricultural input while also providing a productive use for livestock waste.
Field Experiment Evaluated Sixteen Fertilizer Combinations
The experiment was carried out in Kutagaluh Village, Tiganderket District, Karo Regency, North Sumatra, between December 2025 and February 2026.
The research team applied a factorial randomized block design using sixteen treatment combinations derived from:
- Four concentrations of goat urine liquid organic fertilizer:
- 0 ml/L
- 75 ml/L
- 150 ml/L
- 225 ml/L
- Four NPK Mutiara fertilizer doses:
- 0 g
- 5 g
- 10 g
- 15 g
Each treatment was replicated three times, resulting in 48 experimental plots and 288 pakcoy plants. Researchers measured plant height, leaf number, leaf width, fresh weight per sample, and fresh weight per plot before analyzing the results using statistical tests to determine significant treatment effects.
Moderate Goat Urine Dose Produced the Best Vegetative Growth
The study found that both fertilizers individually and in combination significantly influenced pakcoy growth and production.
Among all treatments, the combination of 75 ml/L goat urine and 15 g NPK Mutiara (U1N3) consistently produced the strongest vegetative performance.
At five weeks after planting, this treatment achieved:
- 22.42 cm average plant height.
- 14.19 cm average leaf width.
- Significantly better vegetative growth than most other fertilizer combinations.
For leaf production, however, the highest average was recorded under 75 ml/L goat urine combined with 5 g NPK Mutiara (U1N1), producing 16 leaves per plant.
The findings suggest that moderate concentrations of goat urine provide sufficient organic nutrients while stimulating beneficial soil microorganisms. When combined with balanced NPK fertilizer, the plants received a more stable supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that supported vigorous vegetative development.
Higher Organic Fertilizer Rate Generated the Greatest Harvest Weight
Although moderate doses promoted the best plant growth, the highest production was achieved using a larger amount of goat urine.
The treatment combining 225 ml/L goat urine with 15 g NPK Mutiara (U3N3) produced:
- 1,233.33 g average fresh weight per sample.
- 7,936.67 g average fresh weight per experimental plot, the highest among all treatments.
According to the authors, higher nitrogen availability likely enhanced chlorophyll formation, enabling more efficient photosynthesis and greater biomass accumulation. The balanced interaction between organic nutrients supplied by fermented goat urine and inorganic nutrients from NPK fertilizer created favorable conditions for maximizing crop production.
Supporting Sustainable Vegetable Farming
The study highlights the potential of integrating livestock waste into vegetable production systems. Instead of relying exclusively on chemical fertilizers, farmers may improve crop performance by combining organic and inorganic nutrient sources.
This approach could help:
- Increase pakcoy productivity.
- Improve nutrient use efficiency.
- Reduce livestock waste pollution.
- Support more sustainable farming practices.
- Lower long-term dependence on synthetic fertilizers.
The researchers recommend using the 75 ml/L goat urine plus 15 g NPK Mutiara combination when the primary objective is to optimize vegetative growth. They also encourage further research using narrower fertilizer intervals around the most effective doses and testing the treatments under different environmental conditions and growing seasons.
Authors' Perspective
Sherina Br Bangun and her colleagues from Universitas Quality Berastagi conclude that integrating goat urine liquid organic fertilizer with NPK Mutiara significantly improves multiple indicators of pakcoy performance, including plant height, leaf development, fresh biomass, and overall production. Their findings demonstrate that combining organic and inorganic fertilizers can provide a practical strategy for increasing vegetable yields while supporting sustainable agricultural management.
Author Profiles
Sherina Br Bangun is the lead author of the study and a researcher from Universitas Quality Berastagi, with research interests in crop cultivation and fertilizer management.
Agus Susanto Ginting is a researcher at Universitas Quality Berastagi whose work focuses on agronomy and agricultural production systems.
Wajib Pandia is an academic at Universitas Quality Berastagi who contributed to the research on crop production and sustainable agriculture. The journal article does not provide detailed academic degrees or specific research specializations for the authors.
Source
Article Title: Response of Pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.) Growth and Yield to the Application of Goat Urine and Mutiara NPK Fertilizer
Authors: Sherina Br Bangun, Agus Susanto Ginting, Wajib Pandia
Affiliation: Universitas Quality Berastagi
Journal: Indonesian Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Analytics (IJAEA), Vol. 5, No. 2 (2026)
0 Komentar