Improvement of Cocoa Seedlings Growth by Botanical EthnoBiostimulant Extract (BEBE) and NPK Fertilizer Application

Abstract

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a strategic plantation commodity whose long-term productivity is strongly influenced by seedling quality during the nursery stage. However, cocoa seedling production is frequently constrained by suboptimal nutrient availability, pest and disease pressure, and unstable environmental conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Botanical EthnoBiostimulant Extract (BEBE) and NPK fertilizer application on the  growth performance of cocoa seedlings. The experiment was arranged in a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors: BEBE at four levels and compound NPK fertilizer at three levels, resulting in 12 treatment combinations with three replications and three seedlings per replication (108 experimental units). Growth parameters observed included stem diameter, plant height, number of leaves, root traits, fresh biomass weight, and dry biomass weight. The results showed that BEBE and NPK fertilizer significantly affected stem diameter, plant height, fresh
weight, and dry weight of cocoa seedlings. The combination of composite BEBE derived from cocoa water shoots, Conyza sumatrensis, Cyperus rotundus, Cleome rutidosperma, and Ageratum conyzoides applied at 4 mL L - ¹ with NPK fertilizer
at 3 g polybag - ¹ produced the highest vegetative growth and biomass accumulation. In contrast, higher NPK application rates (6 g polybag - ¹) tended to reduce growth performance.