Effect of boron priming on germination traits of shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.)

Shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) is a vital horticultural commodity in Indonesia, valued for its culinary and medicinal properties. Seed priming, especially with boron (B), represents a promising approach to enhance germination performance. This study investigated the effects of various boron concentrations on the germination performance of shallot seeds. The experiment was conducted under screen house conditions at the Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University, in May 2024, using a randomized block design with 11 boron concentrations (0-100 mg L-1) and three replications. Priming with 100 mg L-1 resulted in the best performance across several germination parameters, including as germination percentage (GP), germination speed index (GSI), the time required for 10% of seeds to germinate (T10), the time required for 50% of seeds to germinate (T50), mean germination time (MGT), mean germination rate (MGR), and germination speed coefficient (GSC). Regression analysis showed a strong positive linear relationship between boron concentration and both final germination percentage (r² = 0.84) and germination speed index (r² = 0.76). These findings suggest that boron priming, especially at 100 mg L-1, significantly enhances germination performance of shallot seeds and may as an effective method for improving seedling vigor.