WATER-SAVING INNOVATION IN NURSERY MANAGEMENT OF BANANA: OPTIMIZING SUPERABSORBENT POLYMER APPLICATION THROUGH DOSE-RESPONSE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Water scarcity necessitates innovative irrigation strategies in horticultural production systems. This study evaluated the efficacy of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) as a water-saving amendment in the nursery management of banana through comprehensive dose-response analysis. A completely randomized design was employed with five SAP application rates (0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 grams per pot) replicated three times. Growth parameters, biomass accumulation, and water-use efficiency (WUE) were monitored over 60 days after planting. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant treatment effects (p < 0.001) across all measured parameters. Mean separation identified the 6.0 g SAP treatment as producing significantly superior plant height (22.46 cm), stem girth (1.68 cm), leaf area (1048.29 cm²), biomass (42.80 g), and WUE (5.35 g/L). Quadratic regression modeling demonstrated strong non-linear dose-response relationships (R² = 0.89–0.97), predicting optimal SAP doses ranging from 5.82–6.21 g across different parameters. The models revealed a response where benefits peaked at moderate doses before declining at higher applications. The study concludes that SAP application at 6.0 grams per seedling optimizes both growth and water productivity, establishing SAP as a viable water-saving technology for sustainable banana nursery systems while demonstrating the importance of precise dose optimization.