Maintaining the quality of shallot seed bulbs is still challenging. They often have long seed dormancy and high procurement cost. Furthermore, they are easily contaminated with viruses, pests and diseases. The use of true seed of shallot (TSS) is one of the solutions to solve these problems. However, TSS is more difficult to plant because of its light weight and tiny size. Seed enlargement can be done by pelleting the seeds with fillers but this can affect the germination and growth of the seeds. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of pelleting on germination and growth of TSS. Experimental treatments were based on TSS ratio with zeolite (w/w), namely unpelleted, 1:3; 1:4; 1:5 and 1:6 (w/w). The results showed that pelleting TSS with zeolite in the ratio of 1:6 successfully increased the seed size without inhibiting germination. This treatment had also the optimum vegetative growth. This work provides pelleting formulations for TSS enabling further development of shallot seedling.
