IPB University Researcher Develops Superior Commodity Seeds to Increase Food Source Production
This IPB University researcher has successfully developed a number of superior vegetable seeds including shallots, sesame, okra, soybeans, cucumbers, chilies, long beans, bengkuang, peanuts, and cardamom.
She is Prof Eny Widajati, Professor of IPB University from the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture. In addition, in her research she also developed superior seeds of raspberry, sambiloto, and jernang rattan.
“This superior seed research is conducted in an effort to increase the production of food sources. We need seed sources that come from superior and high-quality varieties,” she said in the Pre-Oration Press Conference attended by three professors of IPB University, namely Prof Eny Widajati, Prof Asadatun Abdullah, and Prof Chusnul Arif (20/2).
Prof Eny Widajati confirmed her professorship through her research on various superior seeds in Indonesia. The title of her oration was “Physiological Foundations in Seed Quality Analysis to Support the Availability of High Quality Seed Varieties”.
According to her, superior seeds are the main key that greatly affects the increase in crop production. “Therefore, the seeds used by farmers must have high quality,” she said.
She added that quality seeds have several criteria, namely genetic, physical, physiological, and health quality. She further elaborated that genetic seeds are described by the purity of the seeds. Then physiological quality is related to the ability to grow in the field well and produce with excellent quality.
“Meanwhile, physical quality is more described by cleanliness. We try to dig up as complete and comprehensive information as possible about the character of the seeds,” she explains.
In researching raspberry and sambiloto seeds, she recommends testing germination using the pleated paper method. As for jernang rattan seeds, the use of sand media can accelerate germination. The step is to remove the operculum, so it only requires a testing time of 70 days after planting.
On shallot, sesame, okra, soybean, cucumber, chili, long bean, bengkuang, peanut and cardamom seeds, Prof Eny used the results of the seed viability test using the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride compound.
The results show that the tetrazolium test can be used to estimate the viability or potential of seeds and can also be developed as a resistance test or vigor test. She also conveyed the need for the use of sensor devices and digital images to be studied in obtaining fast and accurate seed quality testing methods. (dh) (IAAS/LAN)
