Initiation of shallot flowering
The results showed that the treatment of flowering initiation and the formation of bulbils had a significant effect on the day the flowers appeared and the number of flower stalks planted (Table 1). The fastest flower appearance day on GA3 treatment was 28 days after planting. GA3 plays a role in making and initiating onion flowering
(Regnault et al., 2014; Ranwala and Miller, 2008). The flowering pathway with gibberellin affects the flowering time in response to internal developmental status
(Fornara et al., 2010). Furthermore, GA3 regulates flowering by controlling the expression of flower regulating genes such as flowering locus T (FT), twin sister of FT (TSF), squamosa promoter binding proteinlike (SPL), suppressor of overexpression of (SOC1), and LEAFY (LFY)
(Galvao et al., 2012). However, the day of flower appearance on GA3 treatment with vernalization treatment was not significantly different. This is because the vernalization treatment (5°C) has a role in stimulating bolts
(Guevara-figueroa et al., 2018). Based on the research results by
(Wu et al., 2016), the vernalization treatment significantly increases the rate of bolting. Low temperature is a major factor in spurring growth, flowering and tuber formation
(Mojtahedi et al., 2013). Vernalization activates sugar and protein metabolism, triggers the buildup of small molecule compounds, and increases reproduction
(Li et al., 2010). The combination of cold temperature vernalization with GA3 accelerates the bolting time, stem elongation, and flowering time
(Shi-wei et al., 2019). GA3 has been effectively used as a substitute for vernalization to stimulate the breakdown of dormancy and encourage flowering
(Oh et al., 2018). Low temperature treatment (vernalization) in plant organs can increase endogenous gibberellin activity, cell division and increase auxin (
Dinarti et al., 2011;
Nazeer et al., 2020). The day of interest on the GA3 treatment was significantly different from the IAA and NAA applications (Table 1). These results indicate that the IAA and NAA applications show the appearance of flowers is more elongate, namely 30 days after planting. Apart from gibberellin, IAA and NAA also have essential effects on flowering (
Kurtar and Ayan, 2005).
GA3 application also shows the highest number of flower stalks planted, namely 13.67 stalks. This is because most of the flowering gene expression is influenced by GA3 treatment
(Guan et al., 2019). These results were supported by the GA3 content of tubers and leaves in flowering plants (Table 4). Endogenous GA3 in the leaves and tubers of flowering plants showed lower yields than endogenous GA3 in non-flowering plants. Based on the results of the research of
(Triharyanto et al., 2020) that endogenous GA3 in flowering plants is higher than in non-flowering plants. Endogenous GA3 increased after exogenous GA3 application and decreased at 44 days after flowering
(Zhang et al., 2016). GA3 is an environmental signal to induce stem elongation and flowering
(Winterhagen et al., 2020). The application of exogenous GA3 also stimulates the synthesis of endogenous GA3 and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) but reduces levels of abscisic acid (ABA)
(Cole et al., 2016). Endogenous GA3 and indole three acetic acids, which increasingly affect the development of flowers, the number and identity of flower organs. Auxins can stimulate division, enlargement, cell differentiation and protoplasmic flow in plants’ vegetative growth, including root organs (
Cheng and Zhao, 2007).
The results showed that the treatment had a significant effect on the percentage of flowering plants (Table 1). GA3 treatment showed the highest percentage of flowering plants (Table 1). This study’s results are consistent with (
Chang and Huang, 2018) that exogenous GA3 increases the percentage of flowering plants. This is because GA3 promotes the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth
(King et al., 2008). However, the percentage of flowering plants in GA3 treatment was not significantly different from the vernalization treatment, flower stalk wound treatment, and NAA. Auxins play an essential role in stimulating plant vegetative growth (
Nikmah and Slamet, 2017).
Initiate the formation of bulbils
The results showed that the treatment of the initiation of flowering and bulbils’ formation had a significant effect on the number of bulbils formed, weight and diameter of bulbils (Table 2). Seed treatment by immersing GA3 100 ppm showed the highest number of bulbils, namely 16 tubers. These results are supported by endogenous gibberellins’ content in leaves and tubers, which are formed from plants that can form bulbils (Table 4). The content of gibberellins in leaves and tubers which can form bulbils is relatively high, namely 55.609 and 103.33 µg/g wet weight. These results indicate that the formation of bulbils requires endogenous gibberellins. This is because GA3 plays an essential role in the induction and growth of lateral shoots in some plants
(Ni et al., 2015; Elfving et al., 2011). Application of GA3 to garlic led to an increase in the number of axillary meristems, lateral shoots in the early stages, and formation of bulbils
(Hong-jiu et al., 2020). Several studies have shown that GA3 induces bulbils formation in Indonesian radishes
(Nishijima et al., 2005) and garlic
(Yamazaki et al., 2015). In sub-tropical countries, bulbils can naturally form
(Rayamajhi et al., 2017). The research results of
Triharyanto et al., (2018) showed that bulbils could be formed in Indonesia with gibberellin treatment.
The results showed that GA3 treatment produced bulbils with the highest weight and diameter (Table 2). This is because GA3 plays a role in sucrose phosphosynthase activity, one of the main enzymes involved in sucrose synthesis and promotes tissue proliferation, which leads to a better assimilation process
(Nguyen et al., 2019). The number of bulbils formed, weight and diameter of bulbils in GA3 treatment was not significantly different from the wound treatment of flower stalks. The number of bulbils in the flower stalk wound treatment was 13 bulbils. This is because bulbils can be formed from injured plant parts due to disturbed assimilate translocation (
Jackson, 1999). However, an injury to the flower stalk can inhibit the formation of flowers due to disturbed translocation of nutrients
(Xue et al., 2019). Table 1 shows the long flower appearance days and the percentage of flowering plants in the low flower stalk wound treatment. The day the flower appeared was negatively correlated with the number of bulbils formed (Table 3). These results indicate that the faster the flowering plants, the lower the number of bulbils formed. This study’s results are consistent with (
Yoshie, 2014) that flowering is inhibited due to an increase in shoot growth.