Pengaruh Dosis Boron dan Penentuan Ruas Tanaman yang Tepat untuk Produksi Benih Melon Hibrida IPB

Abstract

Melon is a populer fruit in Indonesia and has high economic value. However, domestic melon production does not meet the market demand due to unavailable high quality seeds. Moreover most of available melon fruit in the market is of hybrid variety, so that the seeds are imported for fruit production. The research was aimed to study the effect of boron and position of hermaphroditic flower in the internodes on hybrid seed production and seed quality of hybrid melon. The research was arranged in split plot according to randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The main plot was dosages of boron, i.e. 0, 1, 2, and 3 kg ha-1 and the subplot was position of hermaphroditic flower in the internodes, i.e. 10-15th internodes (lower), 16th-21st internodes (middle), and 22nd27th internodes (upper). The result showed that boron at 2 kg ha-1 did not affect the the flowering, fruit quality, and seed yield, but affected seed quality. Additionally, the position of hermaphroditic flower in the internodes did not affect fruit quality, but the upper internodes (22nd-27th) resulted in higher seed yield and seed quality. Hermaphroditic flower in 22nd-27th internodes produced high seed germination regardlessdosages of boron.