SEED GERMINATION OF THE CORPSE GIANT FLOWER Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc. Ex Arcang: THE INFLUENCE OF TESTA
ABSTRACT: Amorphophallus
titanum is famous as the gigantic inflorescense and economically prospective
due to its 20% glucomannan contents. Various cultivation techniques including
germination have been conducted due to the delay in the seed germination of
Amorphophallus titanum. Previous studies revealed that A. titanum seeds has not
produced faster and better germination rate. Therefore this research was aimed
to test the following hypotheses: (1) Fruit pericarp and the pericarp inhibited
the germination, (2) testa/seed coat inhibited germination, (3) GA 3 hormone
promoted the germination rate. The germination pattern was also monitored. The experiments
consisted of: Experiment 1: sowing the fruit with the seeds inside and
Experiment 2 with two treatments: testa peeling and GA 3 hormone treatments. The
results of Experiment 1 showed that the fruit pericarp and the pericarp
inhibited the germination for 124 days. Experiment 2 resulted in: (1) the delay
of the germination for 7-35 days caused by the testa/seed coat, (2) GA 3
hormone promoted the germination rate 2.19 coefficient of germination rate; and
higher GA 3 (1000 ppm) may enhance the seedling growth (reached the highest
23.6 ± 1.3).We also recorded developmental stages from the seed germination,
first-leaf emergence and tuber development in series of photographs overtime during
the experimental period.
Author: Dian Latifah and RS
Purwantoro
Journal Code: jpbiologigg150011
