VARIATION RESPONSES ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF THREE LOCAL CORN CULTIVARS TOWARD GIBBERELLIC ACID APPLICATION

The diversity of local corn (Zea mays L.) in Indonesia is considerable. It has the potential to contribute to food security, particularly in arid regions. The Research Centre for Biology, LIPI (currently BRIN), offers three local corn cultivars: Pangkajene, Senggani, and Entog. To enhance the growth and yield of the local corn cultivars, gibberellic acid (GA3) was applied at three different concentrations (0 ppm, 15 ppm, and 30 ppm). The research aimed to investigate the growth response and yield of the three local corn cultivars in the context of applying GA3. The study indicated that the three local cultivars exhibited distinctive characteristics and responses to gibberellic acid application. The application of GA3 at concentrations of 15 ppm and 30 ppm to the Entog and Senggani cultivars resulted in a notable impact on stem height and upper internode length compared to the control group but not with the Pangkajene cultivar. The application of GA3 to the three local cultivars increases the number of leaves and roots. The application of GA3 to the Entog and Senggani cultivars was observed to stimulate the length and weight of the corn cob, thereby increasing the production of corn kernels per cob. Conversely, the use of GA3 in the Pangkajene cultivar was found to inhibit cob growth, resulting in decreased corn kernels per cob production.