APPLICATION OF IBA TO SEEDLINGS TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF NEW PLANTING COCOA

The decline in the area and productivity of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plantations in Indonesia is caused by high seedling mortality rates during the transplanting stage, which results from the plants' limited ability to adapt to their new environment. This study aims to analyze the effects of clone cocoa type and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentration on root development and cocoa plant growth, and to determine the optimal IBA concentration for each clone type. This study was conducted using a split-plot design, with clone cocoa types as the main plots (MCC 02 and BB 01) and IBA concentrations as the subplots (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 ppm). The results showed that the MCC 02 clone exhibited better growth responses, as indicated by higher values for fresh root weight, dry root weight, number of primary roots, leaf greenness, shoot growth rate, and growth index. The optimal IBA concentration was found to be between 250 and 500 ppm. The interaction between the MCC 02 clone and 500 ppm IBA significantly enhanced root development, while the interaction between the BB 01 clone and 500 ppm IBA resulted in the most significant increase in plant height.The results of this study show the importance of administering plant growth regulators (PGRs) to seedlings before planting to increase growth in the field