Improving germination with pre-sowing technique on Caliandra calothyrsus Meissn

Abstract

Red Calliandra (Caliandra colothyrus) is a high-quality energy wood raw material that can be produced rapidly. It’s ideal for making wood pellets. The need for wood pellets is on the increase globally. For the production of wood pellets continuity, sufficient materials were required, requiring the development of red calliandra cultivation. The long duration of the seed germination process due to the hard seed coat is an obstacle in the generative propagation of red calliandra. This study aimed to determine the best treatment for red calliandra dormancy breaking and simultaneous germination. A factorial fully randomized design (F-CRD) with two treatment factors was used in this study. The first factor is type of solution (P) with three levels consisting of: P1: soaking in water; P2 : immersion with MSG solution (12 grams/liter); P3 : immersion in young coconut water (100%). The second factor is the length of immersion time (T) with three levels consisting of: T1: soaking time for 8 hours; T2 : immersion time for 12 hours; T3 : immersion time for 16 hours. Each treatment consisted of 20 seeds, which were replicated three times for a total of 540 seeds. The initial day of germination, length of germination, percentage of germination, and germination rate index were all measured. The results showed that that the most optimal germination for red Calliandra found in the P1T1 treatment (soaking in water for 8 hours). It can be shown from all observed parameters