Effect of seed priming treatment on seed germination of Allium cepa var. aggregatum under laboratory condition

Shallots (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) are a staple in most Malaysian dishes. Malaysia is completely dependent on imports from abroad because there is no large-scale domestic production. Malaysia needs domestically produced shallot seeds in order to reduce imports and strengthen national food security situation. Therefore, MARDI has taken the initiative to initiate a study on the adaptation and production of shallot seed varieties in lowland cultivation. Shallot seeds have been successfully produced through induction techniques and plant factory systems. However, the seeds had a low germination percentage and produced low bulb quality. This problem can be overcome by using the seed priming technique. The seed priming technique can overcome germination issues and improve the quality of shallot bulbs. Therefore, a seed priming study was carried out under laboratory condition to determine the most effective method to increase germination percentage. Results revealed that priming shallot seeds with KNO3 solution and hydropriming for 24 hrs significantly enhanced mean germination time, mean germination rate, time to 50% germination, germination index, shoot and root length.