Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Benih cabai rawit (Capsicum frutescens L.) yang telah melewati masa edar umumnya mengalami kemunduran fisiologis sehingga kemampuan berkecambah dan tumbuhnya menjadi tidak optimal. Kondisi tersebut disebabkan oleh proses deteriorasi yang berlangsung selama penyimpanan, seperti kerusakan membran sel, penurunan aktivitas enzim, dan terganggunya metabolisme benih. Meskipun demikian, benih kedaluwarsa masih berpotensi dimanfaatkan kembali melalui teknologi invigorasi yang mampu memperbaiki performa fisiologis benih. Salah satu pendekatan yang banyak dikembangkan adalah pemanfaatan Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). Namun, aplikasi PGPR dalam bentuk suspensi cair memiliki keterbatasan karena viabilitas mikroba cenderung menurun selama penyimpanan. Oleh karena itu, bioenkapsulasi dikembangkan sebagai teknologi pembawa yang mampu melindungi sel bakteri dan mempertahankan aktivitasnya selama masa simpan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh jenis isolat bioenkapsulasi rizobakteri, masa simpan bioenkapsulasi, serta interaksi keduanya terhadap viabilitas dan vigor benih cabai rawit kedaluwarsa. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) faktorial dengan tiga ulangan. Faktor pertama adalah jenis isolat bioenkapsulasi rizobakteri yang terdiri atas kontrol, BB 7/1, GB 7/1, BB 7/3, BB 4/1, dan GB 4/4. Faktor kedua adalah masa simpan bioenkapsulasi yang terdiri atas 2 minggu, 4 minggu, dan 6 minggu. Benih cabai rawit kedaluwarsa direndam dalam larutan hasil dekapsulasi bioenkapsulasi selama 24 jam kemudian dikecambahkan menggunakan metode Uji Kertas Digulung Didirikan (UKdD). Parameter yang diamati meliputi potensi tumbuh maksimum, daya berkecambah, kecepatan tumbuh, keserempakan tumbuh, mean germination time, dan panjang akar. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan isolat bioenkapsulasi rizobakteri dan masa simpan berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap seluruh parameter yang diamati. Isolat GB 7/1 menghasilkan potensi tumbuh maksimum tertinggi sebesar 74,81%, masa simpan terbaik pada 2 minggu namun pada parameter panjang akar 4 minggu dan parameter mean germination time pada 6 minggu, sedangkan interaksi antara isolat dan masa simpan berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap kecepatan tumbuh, keserempakan tumbuh, mean germination time (MGT) atau rata-rata waktu perkecambahan, dan panjang akar. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa bioenkapsulasi PGPR berpotensi mempertahankan efektivitas rizobakteri selama penyimpanan serta mendukung peningkatan viabilitas dan vigor benih cabai rawit kedaluwarsa.

Expired chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) seeds generally experience physiological deterioration, resulting in reduced germination ability and seedling performance. This decline is caused by deterioration processes during storage, including membrane damage, decreased enzymatic activity, and impaired seed metabolism. Nevertheless, expired seeds still have the potential to be reutilized through seed invigoration technologies that improve their physiological quality. One promising approach is the application of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). However, the effectiveness of liquid PGPR inoculants is often limited by the decline in bacterial viability during storage. Therefore, bioencapsulation has been developed as a carrier technology to protect bacterial cells and maintain their viability and activity throughout the storage period. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rhizobacterial bioencapsulation isolates, bioencapsulation storage periods, and their interaction on the viability and vigor of expired chili pepper seeds. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized factorial design with three replications. The first factor consisted of six rhizobacterial bioencapsulation isolates: control, BB 7/1, GB 7/1, BB 7/3, BB 4/1, and GB 4/4. The second factor was the bioencapsulation storage period, comprising 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Expired seeds were soaked in the decapsulated bioencapsulation suspension for 24 hours and subsequently germinated using the rolled paper test (UKDd method). The observed variables included maximum growth potential, germination percentage, germination rate, germination uniformity, mean germination time (MGT), and root length. The results showed that both rhizobacterial bioencapsulation isolates and storage periods significantly affected all observed parameters. The GB 7/1 isolate produced the highest maximum growth potential (74.81%) and showed the best performance in most viability and vigor parameters, while the optimal storage period was generally 2 weeks, except for root length, which was highest at 4 weeks, and mean germination time, which was lowest at 6 weeks. Furthermore, a significant interaction between rhizobacterial isolates and storage periods was observed for germination rate, germination uniformity, mean germination time, and root length. These findings indicate that PGPR bioencapsulation has considerable potential to maintain rhizobacterial effectiveness during storage and improve the viability and vigor of expired chili pepper seeds.