THE EFFECT OF APOKOL LOCATION AND KNO3 ADMINISTRATION ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERS, VIABILITY AND GROWTH OF SUGAR PALM PLANT SEEDLINGS (Arenga pinnata Merr.)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25077/jijcs.v8i2.241Keywords:
dormancy, watertightness, seed coat, sugar palm, seed vigorAbstract
Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) is a highly potential plant with almost all parts of the tree being useful. However, commercial development of sugar palm is hampered by the limited availability of high-quality seeds. Sugar palm seeds experience dormancy due to their impermeable nature, requiring chemical methods such as soaking in a solution of Potassium Nitrate KNO3 to break the impermeability of the testa tissue. In addition, variations in the apocol position in sugar palm seeds indicate genetic differences, so the apocol position has the potential to be useful as a marker for superior varieties. This study aims to improve the viability of sugar palm seeds by investigating the effect of KNO3 concentration and apocol position. The study was conducted at the Andalas University Experimental Garden from September 2024 to February 2025. The method used was a Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors and three replications. The first factor was the apocol position, divided into four quadrants (1 to 4). The second factor was the KNO3 concentration (0.5%), 1%, and 1.5%). Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by DMRT (5%). The results showed a significant interaction between KNO3 concentration and apocol position on growth and physiological parameters, including apocol emergence time, coleoptile length, primary root length, normal germination, and overall growth parameters. Specifically, 1% KNO3 concentration was the most effective treatment for improving physiological characteristics, viability, and seedling growth. In addition, Quadrant IV was identified as the best apocol position for these characteristics. The optimal combination of KNO3 treatment and apocol selection can significantly improve the propagation of sugar palm seeds
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