PROMOTING GROWTH AND TUBER FORMATION OF POTATO PRODUCTION AT LOWLAND BENGKULU BY APPLYING ANTI GA (GIBERELLIC ACID) AND LOWERING SOIL TEMPERATURES

The overall goal of this experiment was to establish a technology for growing potato at the low elevation. There were three groups of experiment with its own separate objective. The first experiment was to determine the best time (1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after emergence) for applying retardant at their effective concentration (4 ppm ANZ, 1200 ppm CCC, 50 ppm COU, and 4000 ppm PBZ) for promoting potato tuber formation. The second experiment was to determine the best combinataion of time for watering potato crops and time for applying retardant (Coumarine) to promote tuber formation. The third experiment was to find out the best mulch type in reducing soil temperatures. Results showed that each retardant had its own best timing for application, 12:00 WIB was the best time for watering potato crops, irrigation significantly reduced maximum soil temperatures, and silver mulch along with oranic mulches were the best mulches for reducing maximum soil temperature