DROUGHT TOLERANCE OF INDONESIAN TARO (COLOCASIA ESCULENTA [L.] SCHOTT.): COMPARISON BETWEEN DIPLOIDS AND POLYPLOIDS

Food security based upon the improvement in crop productivity and adaptation to drought conditions have developed due to climate change. Taro (Colocasia esculenta [L.] Schott.) is a widely recognized local food source with the potential to support food security in Indonesia. Exploring polyploidization has shown to enhance productivity and adaptability to existing environmental conditions. The presented study aimed to evaluate the effects of ploidy levels and their variations on the drought tolerance of Indonesian taro under greenhouse conditions. An investigation of five taro clones (Bentul diploid, Bentul tetraploid, Kaliurang diploid, Kaliurang tetraploid, and Bolang triploid) for drought tolerance used different watering intervals. The different clones revealed a significant effect on the growth and physiological characters. Results indicated tetraploid clones exhibited the lowest growth percentage, chlorophyll content, and relative water content; however, they showed increased proline, total phenolic, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. This suggests tetraploid clones have a higher tolerance level than the other clones. The drought sensitivity index categorized diploid clones as sensitive, while tetraploid and triploid clones received the moderate category group. Moreover, results indicated polyploidization can potentially enhance taro’s drought tolerance, thereby, improving food security in the context of climate change and global warming.