Details

This experiment aimed to study the suitable types of polymers for coating with chlorophyll extract and the quality of cucumber seeds after coating. The experiment was planned using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications, consisting of five methods involving seeds coated with different types of polymers: Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Sodium Alginate, Carboxy Methyl Cellulose, and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, each polymer being coated alongside chlorophyll, with uncoated seeds serving as the control method. The coating substance was prepared by extracting chlorophyll from mango leaves, then mixed with each type of polymer at a concentration of 1%, using an 8% concentration of chlorophyll extract. The properties of each coating method, such as pH and viscosity of the coating substance, were examined before coating the cucumber seeds with a rotary disk coater model RRC150 at a coating rate of 1,100 milliliters per 1 kilogram of seeds. Subsequently, the seeds were dried to reach the initial moisture level using a hot air blower, and seed quality was assessed in various aspects, including seed moisture, germination rate under laboratory conditions, germination index, and seed fluorescence under a portable ultraviolet light illuminator, as well as light emission spectrum analysis using a Spectrophotometer. The experiment found that each type of polymer could be used to form a film together with chlorophyll, which had appropriate pH and viscosity for the coating without affecting seed quality and showed fluorescence on the seed surface both under portable ultraviolet light and spectral emission analysis with a Spectrophotometer. Using HPMC as the film-forming agent with chlorophyll was the most suitable method, enhancing seed fluorescence efficiency.