Use of Growth Hormones to Support Improvement of Garlic Production in Central Java

At present around 95% of Indonesia’s consumption of garlic needs is fulfilled from imports. In 2019, the need for Indonesian garlic is reported to be 570 thousand tons and can only be fulfilled from domestic production of around 3.36%. Through efforts to increase production, starting in 2017 the Indonesian government has been determined to reduce the dependence of garlic imports and is targeted to gradually become self-sufficient in 2021. The use of growth hormones is believed to be able to help stimulate the growth of garlic bulbs becoming bigger. In the 2017/2018 planting season an assessment of the use of growth hormones in garlic production in Temanggung was conducted. The study used a randomized block design by applying 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatment consisted of the gibberelin ‘Super Gibs’ hormone, Patrol, Hormonik and control. The study was conducted in 2 farmers groups of garlic in Glapansari Village, Parakan Sub District of Temanggung District, from December 2017 to April 2018. The results of the study of growth hormone stimulation, showed an increase in yield of 17-56% from control,which not given hormone treatment. The treatment of growth hormone can reach an average yield of 6.68 tons/ha or an increase of 1.30 tons/ha (an average of 24%) from controls, which only achieve an average yield of 5.39 tons/ha. The highest of yield increase was achieved in the treatment of hormonal ‘Hormonik’ (35% increased) and Patrol (32% increased) of the controls, but between both tended not to be significantly different. While the application of the Super Gibs hormone, has not shown a real and consistent effect on improving garlic yield. The increase in yield on the treatment of growth hormone is due to an increase in the bulbs weight component (an average of 25% increased) and the size of the bulbs diameter (an average of 11% bigger) of garlic produced.