Induksi pembungaan dan biologi bunga pada tanaman jahe putih besar (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

Abstract

Rhizome is usually used for propagation of large white ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc). The major restriction of using rhizome as material for propagation is pests and diseases spread through rhizome, such as bacterial wilt, leaf pock, rhizome flea, and rhizome flies. True seed is considered as one of potential alternatives breakthrough to be developed. However, true seed production is hindered by limited flower production. Therefore this research was aimed at studying flower induction and flowering biology of large white ginger var. Cimanggu 1. The research consisted of two steps; first, flower induction with low media water content and use of paclobutrazol as two separate experiments and the second was observation on flowering biology. The experiments for flower induction was arranged in completely randomized block design with one factor, i.e. 1) controlling water content of the media at: 48-49, 45-46, 42-43, 39– 40, 36-37, and 33-34 %; and 2) using paclobutrazol as soil drench: 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 ppm. Observation on flowering biology includes pollen viability and stigma receptivity. Result of experiment indicated that low media water content did not induce flowering, but 100 ppm paclobutrazol as soil drench produced more flowers at earlier stage. Pollen viability was highest at 45 min. after blooming (MAB) and declines sharply after 60 MAB. Stigma receptivity presumably occurred at the time when secretion was produced and the stigma tip was transparant, however the precise time is yet to be investigated further.