APPLICATION OF HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY TO THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF PURWOCENG 'VIAGRA FROM ASIA'

Purwoceng (Pimpinella pruatjan Molkenb) is a medicinal plant native to Indonesia known as Indonesian Viagra from Java. The decline and scarcity of Purwoceng is an important obstacle in meeting the demands of harvesting from the original habitat without conservation and the extreme climatic conditions in the Dieng plateau. Therefore, it is necessary to apply controlled cultivation technology, namely hydroponic technology with drip irrigation in the greenhouse, to increase the yield and quality of Purwoceng. This study aimed to obtain the effect of hydroponic methods and hydroponic nutrition (EC) on the yield and quality of Purwoceng. The study was conducted from December 2020 to March 2021 at a greenhouse of ± 1500 m above sea level. The experiment used a randomized block design with three replications. Each replication consisted of 15 plants. Hydroponic type, which was recirculating drip, non-circulating drip, and nutrient concentration which were 1000 ppm, 1500 ppm, and 2000 ppm. The harvest weight (aerial part and root), moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, water extractive, and ethanol extractive content, and the contaminant (microbial and heavy metal) content, were analyzed. In conclusion, to produce high-quality Purwoceng, a hydroponic system could be used using recirculating drip and 1000 ppm nutrient dose.