Efforts to Utilise Rootlets to Increase Kaliandra (Calliandra calothirsus) Production

Abstract

Leguminous plants such as calliandra have many benefits, including anti-parasitic properties. The high tannin content in calliandra can be used as an essential ingredient for medicines. This legume is classified as a type of legume that can also be used as green manure, intercropping plants, fence plants, and biofertilizers. The high production of calliandra also makes this plant useful as animal feed; root nodules formed on calliandra roots can be used as a source of N to replace the use of chemical fertilizers. This research aimed to obtain root nodules and inoculate them on plants. The experimental method was carried out by selecting calliandra root nodules and then isolating them in the laboratory to obtain isolates. Observations were made descriptively. The result showed that calliandra root nodules can induce root nodules after isolation inoculated on plants, while plants not inoculated did not form root nodules. This result will significantly help increase the production of calliandra in large quantities so that it can be utilized as animal feed, and it will also increase the production of compounds produced by calliandra plants to be utilized as medicine. Production costs can also be lowered because root nodules as plants can directly utilize a source of nitrogen found in calliandra roots.