Jurnal Penelitian Teh dan Kina 14(2) 2011: 72-77 72 Variabilitas dan seleksi awal populasi tanaman teh hasil persilangan buatan Variability and early selection for tea plant population derived from artificial crossings Heri Syahrian Khomaeni dan Bambang Sriyadi Pusat Penelitian Teh dan Kina Gambung Pasirjambu, Kabupaten Bandung; Kotak Pos 1013 Bandung 40010 Telepon 022 5928780, Faks. 022 5928186 Diajukan: 12 September 2011; diterima: 12 Oktober 2011 Abstract The purpose of tea breeding is to develope new elite clones. Artificial crossings is the method for developing a new population with high genetic variability in respective traits followed by selection process. Genetic variability information is important in selection method. A hundred and five F 1 plants were planted in 1991. These F 1 plant were selected from F 1 generations of several parental cross combinations between PS 1, PS 354, TRI 777, TRI 2024, TRI 2025, Kiara 8, KP 4, and Cin 143. The crosses were made in 1989. Observed variables were yield per bush, number of pekoe, number of dormant shoot (banji), weight of p+3 (pekoe with three leafs below), weight of p+2 (pekoe with two leafs below), and weight of banji. Phenotypic variance and standard deviation were made. The level of variability of all characters were evaluated. All plants with performance level greater than general mean plus one and a half standard deviation were selected for respective traits. Results showed that yield per bush, number of pekoe, and number of banji had wide variability. The variability of p+3, p+2, and banji had narrow variability. Eight bushes were selected with yield potential ranging from 4,290 kg/ha/year and 6,261 kg/ha/year. Keywords: variability, selection, tea, cross pollination Abstrak Tujuan pemuliaan teh adalah menghasilkan klon unggul baru, salah satu caranya dengan melakukan persilangan antara tetua yang memiliki karakater yang diinginkan dan dilanjutkan dengan proses seleksi. Dalam proses seleksi, informasi mengenai variabilitas populasi yang akan diseleksi sangat penting. Materi tanaman yang diuji merupakan tanaman F1 asal biji hasil dari kombinasi persilangan pada tahun 1989 antara klon PS1, PS 354, TRI 777, TRI 2024, TRI 2025, Cin 143, Kiara 8, dan KP 4, yang ditanam di lapangan pada tahun 1991 sebanyak 105 perdu. Parameter yang diamati adalah hasil petik per perdu sebanyak 13 kali petikan, bobot petikan per perdu, jumlah peko, jumlah pucuk burung, bobot p+3, bobot p+2, bobot pucuk burung. Data dari setiap karakter dilakukan analisis varians dan standar deviasinya. Nilai varians yang diperoleh merupakan nilai varians fenotipik (σf2) dan luas sempitnya variabilitas ditentukan dengan membanding- kan nilai varians fenotipik dengan standar deviasinya (Sdσf2). Seleksi dilakukan pada