The tendency to prioritize food crops, such as rice and wheat, to meet human needs has resulted in dependence, degradation, and loss of local knowledge. In this term, biology education plays its role by exploring the potential of local plants, including their use as learning resources. One of those local plants is the taro plant (Colocasia Esculenta L.), an alternative staple food for those who live in Eastern Indonesia. The research method used was qualitative research. The data collection techniques included observation, interviews, characterization, and questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The morphological characterization of taro was done based on Descriptors for Taro IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute). The poster development procedure used was the ADDIE model. The results of the exploration showed five local taro accessions that had variations in morphological characters. The plant range was directly proportional to the plant height. There was one accession that was tall (AT 5) and had the potential to be cultivated on a large scale. Most of the leaves were green, while the leaf vein color was varying, namely white, green, and purple, with harvesting periods ranging between 4 to 9 months. The leaf vein pattern has a shape like a letter Y. Five accessions had petiole cross-sections, a waxy coating on the leaf surface, and predominantly white intervenii. The assessments of material experts, media, and users showed that the poster was feasible, usable as a biology learning resource.
Morphological Characterization of Taro and Its Utilization as a Learning Resource of Biology Education in Eastern Indonesia
