Aplikasi Teknologi Seed Coated dan Seed Delinted pada Benih Kapas (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
<p><em>Seed coated</em> merupakan teknologi pelapisan benih dengan bahan tertentu untuk mempertahankan mutu benih dan membuat bentuk benih lebih teratur. Prosesing benih kapas saat ini masih menggunakan bahan kimia seperti asam sulfat (<em>seed delinted</em>) untuk menghilangkan kabu-kabu (<em>linter</em>) yang masih menempel pada biji setelah proses pemisahan serat dan biji. <em>Seed delinted</em> memungkinkan terjadinya kerusakan kulit hingga lembaga biji dan dapat menimbulkan masalah lingkungan dari limbah yang dihasilkan dalam proses tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh perlakuan benih pada tiga jenis varietas terhadap viabilitas benih kapas. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Faktorial dalam RAK. Faktor Pertama terdiri atas beberapa perlakuan benih yaitu benih berkabu, benih <em>delinted</em>,<em> coated</em> dengan tapioka dan kaolin serta <em>coated </em>dengan<em> arabic gum</em>. Sedangkan, faktor kedua terdiri atas varietas kapas yaitu Kanesia 10, Kanesia 18 dan Kanesia 19. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa interaksi antara perlakuan benih dengan varietas kapas berpengaruh nyata untuk parameter panjang radikula dan menghasilkan koefesien keragaman mencapai 9.85%. Perlakuan benih <em>coated</em> dengan bahan <em>arabic gum</em> menunjukkan hasil yang terbaik untuk semua parameter pengamatan. Sedangkan, varietas Kanesia 10 menunjukkan persentase keserempakan tumbuh, persentase daya berkecambah, dan persentase potensi tumbuh maksimum terbaik masing-masing 92.25%, 96.25%, dan 98.00%. Perlakuan benih dengan teknologi <em>seed coated</em> menggunakan <em>arabic gum</em> pada Varietas Kanesia 10 dapat menunjukkan persentase viabilitas benih kapas terbaik.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Effect of Seed Coating on the Seeds Viability of Three Cotton Varieties ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) </strong></p><p><br />Seed coating technology with certain materials is objected to maintain seed quality and to make seed shapes more regular. Currently, cotton seeds processing is using chemicals such as sulfuric acid (acid seed delinted) to remove the linter which is still attached to the seeds after the separation of fibers and seeds. Acid seed delinting could causing damage on the seed skin as well as to the seed embryo and also cause environmental problems from the waste produced in the process. Seed coated technology has the prospect to be applied in the process of cotton seeding, so the process becomes environmentally friendly. This study aims to evaluate the effect of seed coating treatment on three cotton varieties on the seed viability. This study uses Randomized Block Design Factorial. The first factor consisted of four seed treatments namely fuzzy seed (control), seed delinted, seed coated with tapioca and kaolin and seed coated with arabic gum. The second factor were cotton varieties namely Kanesia 10, Kanesia 18, and Kanesia 19. The results showed that the interaction between seed treatments with cotton varieties significantly affected the radicular length parameters and produced a coefficient of varians 9.85%. Seed coated with arabic gum showed the best results for all observation parameters. Kanesia 10 showed the best of growing simultaneity, germination, and the potential maximum growth by 92%, 96%, and 98%, recpectively. The cotton cotton seed coated with arabic gum is prospective to be applied in the cotton seeding process as an alternative to the acid delinting technique that is not environmentally friendly. </p>