[Tolerance of maize (Zea mays) to various aluminium stress conditions]

The aim of reseach was to examine the physiological mechanism and growth response of corn differed in Aluminium tolerance to Aluminium stress condition. This research was done in green house of Graduate Program of Sriwijaya University from April to July 2002, by using randomly grouped factorial design consisted of three treatments and three replications. The treatments were three corn varieties (J1 = C-7, J2 = Genjah Mas, and J3 = TEY.DT x SA3) and two levels of tolerance (T1 = tolerance plant and T2 = sensitive plant) and three levels of Aluminium concentration (A1 = Al2(SO4)3 20 mg/l; A2 = Al2(SO4)3 40 mg/l, A3 = Al2(SO4)3 60 mg/l). This research were done in two steps, first, by using water culture in order to differentiate tolerance plants (T1) and sensitive plants (T2). Second step was done by using sand culture dropped with nutrient solution as media for growing corn plants. The result showed that tolerance of corn on Aluminium stress can be evaluated visually, however, the quantitative effect was variable and depended on varieties and Aluminium concentration. This research also may indicate that mechanism of corn tolerance to Aluminium was in inclusive pattern because the shoot of tolerant corn plants (T1) accumulated Aluminium more than the sensitive plants (T2). The research also showed that physiological response of corn to Aluminium could be seen more clearly in medium with lower Aluminium concentration (20 mg/l) than in the medium with higher Aluminium concentration (40 mg/l and 60 mg/l). There were not significant difference in N, P, K and aluminium content in roots of tolerant and sensitive plants (T1 and T2). The nutrients content in shoot were N = 1.562 percent - 1.728 percent; P = 0.192 percent - 0.332 percent; K = 1.942 percent - 2.513 percent and Aluminium = 0.015 percent - 0,028 percent, while in the roots were N = 0,627 percent - 0,78 percent; P = 0.127 percent - 0.139 percent, K = 0.906 percent - 1.111 percent and aluminium = 0.179 percent - 0.194 percent on the root. Moreover, application of nutrient solution by dropping method may give positive effect to the plant tolerance to Aluminium, since it could resulted a resurgency fenomena, in which the sensitive plant could grow move vigourous as tolerant plants.