ABSTRAK<br />Dalam upaya pengembangan nilam (Pogostemon cablin) di daerah<br />yang jaraknya jauh dari kebun induk, pengadaan benih nilam yang berkua-<br />litas menjadi masalah yang serius, karena bibit akan cepat mengalami<br />penurunan kualitas selama transportasi. Untuk itu dilaksanakan penelitian<br />yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh lama simpan setek berakar<br />nilam terhadap pertumbuhan. Percobaan dilaksanakan di rumah kaca Balai<br />Penelitian Tanaman Rempah dan Obat (Balittro) dari bulan April –<br />Agustus 2004. Percobaan disusun dalam rancangan petak terbagi (RPT)<br />dengan 3 ulangan. Petak utama (main plot) adalah 2 jenis setek nilam<br />yaitu: (1) setek berdaun dan (2) setek tidak berdaun. Anak petak (sub plot)<br />adalah lama penyimpanan setek yaitu: (1) setek langsung ditanam<br />(kontrol), (2) setek disimpan 1 hari, (3) setek disimpan 3 hari, (4)setek<br />disimpan 5 hari dan, (5) setek disimpan 7 hari. Pengamatan dilakukan<br />sejak tanaman berumur 2 minggu sampai tanaman berumur 8 minggu.<br />Parameter yang diamati meliputi pertumbuhan tanaman (tinggi, jumlah<br />daun dan jumlah tunas), bobot kering (batang, daun, akar). Hasil perco-<br />baan menunjukkan bahwa persentase hidup setek nilam berakar (setek<br />berdaun dan setek tidak berdaun) masih 100% setelah disimpan selama 7<br />hari. Hampir dari seluruh parameter pertumbuhan (tinggi tanaman, jumlah<br />cabang, jumlah daun) yang diamati menunjukkan bahwa pertumbuhan<br />bibit setek berdaun lebih baik dibandingkan dengan setek yang tidak<br />berdaun.<br />Kata kunci : Nilam, Pogostemon cablin Benth, bibit, setek berakar,<br />penyimpanan, pertumbuhan, Jawa Barat<br />ABSTRACT<br />Effect of storage periods of rooted cutting on the growth<br />of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth)<br />Providing high quality of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin Benth)<br />seedlings is necessary to support the development of patchouli plants. In<br />the new developing area transportation become serious problems (high<br />cost transportation), therefore some alternative solution is reducing the<br />transportation cost without reducing the quality of the seedlings. Base on<br />the problems, this experiment was conducted. The objective of this<br />experiment was to study the effect of storage periods of rooted cuttings on<br />the growth of patchouli plant. The experiment was conducted in the green<br />house of Indonesian Spice and Medicinal Crops Research Institute<br />(ISMECRI), from April to August 2004. The experiment was arranged in<br />a split-plot design with 3 replications. The main plot was 2 kinds of cutting<br />there were: (1) leaf cutting and (2) non leaf cutting. The sub plot was 5<br />different storage periods, there were: (1) control (no storage), (2)1 day<br />storage, (3) 3 day storage, (4) 5 day storage, (5) 7 day storage. The<br />variables observed were plant growth (plant height, number of leaves and<br />number of shoots), dry weight of stems, leaves and roots. The results of<br />experiment indicated that after 7 day storage, rooted cuttings of patchouli<br />were still 100% viable. The growth of patchouli from leaf cutting was<br />significantly different from non leaf cutting. Patchouli plant from leaf<br />cutting produced higher plant height, number of leaves, number of shoots<br />and dry weight of plants compared to those of patchouli plants from non<br />leaf cuttings. Storage period significantly affected the height of plants<br />however it did not significantly affected the number of leaves, number of<br />shoots and dry weight of plants.<br />Key words: Pacthouli, Pogostemon cablin, seedlings, rooted cutting,<br />storage, growth, West JavE