Maize production in Indonesia continues to face several constraints, particularly declining soil fertility caused by low organic matter content and land degradation. One effort to improve maize growth and yield is the application of biochar and biological fertilizers containing Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. This study aimed to determine the effect of the combination of biological fertilizer (Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp.) and biochar on the growth and yield of MS-UNSIKA maize (Zea mays L.) and to identify the most effective treatment combination. The research was conducted from January to March 2026 at Campus 2 of Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang. A single-factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) consisting of 16 treatment combinations of biological fertilizer and biochar doses with three replications was employed, resulting in 48 experimental units or 144 sample plants. The collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the 5% significance level, followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at the 5% level when significant differences were detected. The observed variables included plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, husked ear weight, unhusked ear weight, and ear length without husk. The results showed that the combination of biological fertilizer (Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp.) and biochar significantly affected maize growth, particularly plant height and stem diameter, but did not significantly influence the number of leaves or yield components, including husked ear weight, unhusked ear weight, and ear length without husk. The best vegetative growth was obtained from Treatment D (15 t ha⁻¹ biochar without biological fertilizer), which produced the highest plant height of 41.17 cm at 3 weeks after planting (WAP) and 91.48 cm at 5 WAP, as well as the largest stem diameter of 1.47 cm at 3 WAP. For yield parameters, Treatment B (5 t ha⁻¹ biochar without biological fertilizer) produced the highest husked ear weight (145.22 g) and unhusked ear weight (128.89 g), while Treatment F produced the longest ear length without husk (14.61 cm). Overall, biochar application improved the vegetative growth of maize, although its combination with biological fertilizer did not significantly enhance yield components.

Keywords: biochar, Trichoderma sp., Gliocladium sp., maize, plant growth.

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