Respons Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Baby Corn (Zea Mays L.) terhadap Pemberian Pupuk Fosfat dan Detasseling

Abstract

RUDOLF KRISTIAN TELAUMBANUA. Response of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.) Growth and Production to Phosphate Fertilizer Application and Detasseling, supervised by NINI RAHMAWATI. Baby corn (Zea mays L.) is a corn plant that is harvested when the cobs are still young, before the cobs have fertilized and are still soft. This study aims to analyze the effect of phosphate fertilizer application and detasseling on the growth and production of baby corn. This study was conducted in Holi Village, Lahewa District, North Nias Regency, North Sumatra Province from February to June 2025. This study used a factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two treatments and three replications. The first factor was SP-36 phosphate fertilizer (P0) control, (P1) 75 kg/ha, (P2) 150 kg/ha, (P3) 225 kg/ha. The second factor was (D0) without detasseling, and (D1) with detasseling. The results of this study indicate that phosphate fertilizer application significantly affected the growth and production of baby corn (plant height at 6 WAP and stem diameter at 6 WAP, as well as the number of leaves and the time of emergence of male flowers), as well as generative results (cob length). The best phosphate fertilizer dose was found at (P2) 150 kg/ha. Meanwhile, the detasseling treatment did not significantly affect the growth and production of baby corn. The interaction between phosphate fertilizer and detasseling was not significant for all observed parameters.