Pengaruh Periode After-Ripening dan Konsentrasi KNO3 Terhadap Pematahan Dormansi Benih Cabai Varietas Lokal Pagu

Abstract

Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) play a strategic role in supporting national economic growth; however, these plants undergo dormancy, which can lead to slow and uneven germination, potentially hindering the supply of high-quality seedlings. One approach to overcoming dormancy is to apply after-ripening  period and seed priming  with potassium nitrate (KNO₃). The objective of this study was to determine interaction of after-ripening period and KNO₃ on dormancy breaking and seed germination performance of the local chili variety Pagu. This study used a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with two factors. The first factor was the post-maturation period (0, 7, and 14 days), while the second factor was the KNO₃ concentration (0; 0.20%; 0.40%), with three replicates. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at a 5% significance level. If there was a significant effect of the treatments or an interaction between treatments, the analysis was followed by a 5% BNT test. The research results indicate an interaction across all observed parameters (mean germination time, maximum germination potential, plant height, and number of leaves.