DESICCATION TOLERANCE IN PHALERIA MACROCARPA SEEDS

Phaleria macrocarpa is a popular medicinal plant in Indonesia and has recently been introduced in Malaysia in view of its commercial potential as health supplement. This species is primarily propagated by using seeds; thus, seed desiccation tolerance was studied for better handling of the planting material. Seeds extracted from fully ripe fruits with uniform size were dried in desiccators by using potassium acetate for periods i.e., 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. Seeds were drawn randomly daily for the determination of seed moisture content (MC), germination and electrolyte leakage. Seed MC was determined by using oven drying method at 103°C for 16 hours according to ISTA. Germination was carried out with other seeds desiccated for the same duration on moistened sand sized 0.2-2.0 mm in enclosed plastic boxes and electrolyte leakage of the desiccated seeds was determined by using an electrical conductivity meter. Results obtained from this study indicated that seed germination was greatly reduced to below 75% when seeds were desiccated down to MC of 17.65%. This was supported by the increased electrolyte leakage with these seeds. It was concluded that Phaleria macrocarpa seeds were best to be sown fresh or after slight desiccation to avoid loss of planting materials.