Natural Seed Priming with Coconut Water and Eco-Enzyme Enhances Dormancy Release and Early Seedling Vigor in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) seed dormancy remains a major constraint to efficient nursery production because it delays germination and reduces seedling uniformity. Although coconut water and eco-enzyme have individually been recognized as natural biostimulants, limited information is available regarding their combined application as seed-priming agents for improving oil palm seed performance. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of coconut water and eco-enzyme on dormancy release, germination characteristics, and early seedling growth of oil palm. A factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed using three concentrations of coconut water (250, 500, and 750 mL L⁻¹) and three concentrations of eco-enzyme (50, 100, and 150 mL L⁻¹). Germination percentage, mean germination time, seedling height, leaf number, and stem diameter were recorded and analyzed using analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at the 5% significance level. Both coconut water and eco-enzyme significantly improved germination percentage, accelerated germination, and enhanced early seedling growth. The highest responses were consistently obtained with 750 mL L⁻¹ coconut water and 150 mL L⁻¹ eco-enzyme. A significant interaction between both biostimulants was observed only for seedling height, indicating complementary physiological effects during early vegetative growth. The findings demonstrate that integrating coconut water and eco-enzyme as natural seed-priming agents provides an environmentally sustainable approach for improving dormancy release and seedling vigor in oil palm while reducing dependence on synthetic plant growth regulators. This study contributes new evidence supporting the integration of renewable biological resources into sustainable oil palm nursery management.