EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF STRUCTURED ACOUSTIC RECITATION ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF HYDROPONIC PAKCOY (BRASSICA RAPA L.)

Abstract

Acoustic stimulation has emerged as a non-chemical approach to enhance plant growth and physiological performance under controlled cultivation systems. However, empirical evaluation of structured religious recitation as a potential acoustic stimulus remains limited. This study investigated the effect of Qur'an-recited water and acoustic exposure on nutrient uptake and growth performance of hydroponic pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.). The experiment followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three treatments and five replications per treatment: control nutrient solution (C), nutrient solution prepared using water exposed to structured recitation (QW), and daily acoustic exposure (QA; 30 min day⁻¹ at 65–70 dB). Growth parameters and macronutrient uptake (N, P, K) were analyzed using ANOVA under PROC GLM in SAS 9.4, and means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at p ≤ 0.05. QW significantly increased fresh weight (19.3%), dry weight (16.1%), leaf area (16.9%), chlorophyll index (13.5%), and nitrogen uptake (14.6%) compared to control. QA produced moderate but significant improvements. These findings suggest that structured acoustic exposure during water preparation may enhance biomass production and nutrient assimilation efficiency in hydroponic systems.