Fruit Ripeness and Extraction Method Affect Langusei Germination

Image: article cover, from Irawan et al. (2020), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A team of researchers from Diponegoro University, Wakatobi National Park, and the Manado Forestry and Environmental Research and Development Centre has investigated how to propagate langusei (Ficus minahassae), an endemic flora of Sulawesi whose existence is increasingly threatened. Published in the Journal Wasian in 2020, the study tested fruit ripeness levels and appropriate extraction treatments so that langusei seeds can germinate well.

The results showed that optimal germination was obtained from orange-brown and orange-red fruits, that is, fruits that are ripe but not overripe. Seeds from these fruits were soaked in water for 24 hours before sowing. This treatment proved better than 24-hour air drying or 12-hour drying.

This finding is important because efforts to conserve langusei have so far been hampered by a lack of knowledge about nursery techniques, especially germination. With simple guidance in the form of fruit colour selection and water soaking, forest communities, extension workers, and area managers can participate in cultivating langusei so that its population in the wild does not continue to decline.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Effect of Fruit Maturity and Extraction Treatment on Germination Percentage of Langusei (Ficus minahassae (Teysm.et.Vr.) Miq)) by Arif Irawan Irawan, Iwanuddin Iwanuddin Iwanuddin, Jafred Elsjoni Halawane Jafred and Fuad Muhammad Fuad, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 7 No. 2 (2020). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Irawan, A. I., Iwanuddin, I. I., Jafred, J. E. H., & Fuad, F. M. (2020). Effect of Fruit Maturity and Extraction Treatment on Germination Percentage of Langusei (Ficus minahassae (Teysm.et.Vr.) Miq)). Jurnal Wasian, 7(2), 103–109. https://doi.org/10.62142/qm2s0687

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.