Examination of Shallot Seedling Quality Through Seed Priming

The study aimed to examine the effect of the seed priming method with zinc micronutrients on the growth of seedlings of two shallot varieties from aging botanical seeds. The research was conducted in the Green House, Agriculture Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia. The study was arranged in a split-plot design (SPD) with a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The main plot was a type of variety, which consisted of 2 combinations, namely Lokananta and Maserati. The subplot was a type of priming comprising six treatments: unpriming, hydropriming, IAA priming, ZnO priming, ZnSO4·7H2O priming, and Zn-EDTA priming. Zn-EDTA priming increased germination percentage (71.43%), root length (13.07 cm), and number of root tips (12.04). ZnSO4.7H2O priming produced the highest seedling height (28.72 cm). Then, ZnO priming increased the number of leaves (4.18 leaves), pseudo-stem diameter (3.36 mm), fresh weight (2.54 g), dry weight (0.22 g), and seedling quality index (0.0081). Seed priming using Zn improved the growth quality of aging shallot seedlings.