Development of Seed Vigour Testing Method Using Single Count of Radicle Emergence for True Seed of Shallot (Allium ascalonicum B.)

Seed vigour is one of the seed parameters that determines seed quality for successful crop production.An experiment was conducted at Bogor Agricultural University to develop a seed vigour testing method for the true seed of shallot (TSS) using a single count of radicle emergence (RE) that can be used to estimate germination percentage of normal seedlings in the laboratory and field emergence.Nine artificially made seed lots of TSS were used in this experiment which were germinated at two different temperatures i.e., at 20±1℃ and at 25±1℃ (room temperature).The experiments were arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with a repeated measurement, having four replicates.The results showed that a single count of RE at 72 and 68 hours germinated at 20±1℃ and 25±1℃ respectively, were able to predict germination percentage in the laboratory 12 days after sowing and field emergence 14 days after planting.Regression and correlation analysis values of RE were predictive to germination percentage with r=0.891 and R 2 =0.951 (p<0.01) for seed lots germinated at 20±1℃ and r=0.924 and R 2 =0.875 (p=<0.01)for seed lots germinated at 25±1℃.Furthermore, RE was predictive to field emergence (FE %) with r=0.953 and R 2 =0.909 (p<0.01) and r=0.865 and R 2 =0.732 (p<0.01) for seed lots germinated at 20±1℃ and 25±1℃ respectively.A single count of RE correlated well with other vigour tests at 68 hours and 72 hours for seed lots germinated at 25±1℃ and/or 20±1℃ respectively, then it can be used as one of the methods for seed vigour test for TSS.