Short Communication: Seed germination of twelve Indonesian begonias for conservation

Abstract

Abstract. Efendi M, Handayani A, Lailaty IQ. 2019. Short Communication: Seed germination of twelve Indonesian begonias for conservation. Biodiversitas 20: 1192-1197. Knowledge of seed quality is essential when seeds are stored for the long term. A preliminary study on Begonia seed conservation was conducted, to characterize morphology and germination testing on native Begonia from Indonesia. As many as 12 species of Indonesian Begonia were observed for the characteristics of fruit and seeds. Later, we tested the level of seed viability at different levels of fruit maturity. The experimental design used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research (STAR) program and further testing the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at a 5% significance level. Generally, all seeds were barrel-like in shape, the smallest size in B. muricata (252.42 µm length), and the largest size in B. areolata (up to 451.42µm length, while the operculum 28.48 µm-104.9 µm length). Most Begonia seeds start germinating in the second and third weeks after sowing. B. scottii, and B. verecunda, as well as B. longifolia, showed germination in the second week, while other species tended not to be simultaneous. Dry seed germination was higher than seed wet for eight weeks. B. longifolia and B. scottii had the highest germination in wet seed treatment: while in the dry seed treatment, the highest germination was showed by B. areolata and B. muricata.

Study of the Germination of Six Begonia Species as an Effort to Preserve Genetic Resources

“…Based on the observation, all Begonia seeds show the same sprout growth. Likewise, B. fischeri, B. muricata and B. scottii had the same stages of germination (Haba, 2015;Efendi et al, 2019). The different types of Begonia showed significant differences in all the parameters tested (Table 2).…”

“…Begonia seeds are small and many. Efendi et al (2019) stated that the seeds of several begonias were 252.42-451.25 µm long and 160.06-284.83 µm wide. Haba (2015) stated that Begonia schmidtiana fruit 'Chauncy' produces about 6,500 ovules per capsule.…”

“…On the other hand, investigating seed storage behavior is needed for seed conservation strategies (Latifah et al, 2020). Efendi et al (2019) stated that germplasm management through the seeds presents a challenge to ensure high-quality seeds are worth using and have a long saving power of life.…”

Short communication: Germination monitoring of selected Annonaceae seeds: Seed bank collections of Purwodadi Botanic Garden, East Java, Indonesia

“…Germination monitoring is one of the methods to evaluate the quality of the seeds stored in the seed bank, and quality evaluation is vital in conservation. Monitoring of seed quality through germination is aimed at long-term seed conservation (Efendi et al 2019;Puspitaningtyas and Handini 2021). Seed quality can be affected by internal and external factors, i.e., seed drying procedure, insects and microorganisms' infection, slow germination, or damage due to inappropriate humidity before storage (Socolowski et al 2012).…”

Micropropagation of Three Endemic Begonias Using Various Hormones Concentration and Culture Media Application

“…Begonia can be propagated through tissue culture (Kaviani et al, 2015;Kumari et al, 2012), conventional technique by leaves cuttings (Ningsih & Wardisi, 2013), and by seeds (Efendi et al, 2019). Propagation technique through tissue culture in an exsitu conservation is considered effective because fewer explants are needed than leaves cuttings.…”