The Biology Study Program Expert Lecture presented Dr. Siti Nur Hidayati from Middle Tennessee State University, USA.

FMIPA UNS – On Tuesday (2/7/2019) the Biology Undergraduate Study Program at Sebelas Maret University again held a guest lecture entitled “Life as a seed ecologist”. As a resource person is Dr. Siti Nur Hidayati from Middle Tennessee State University, USA. The guest lecture which was attended by Biology students took place in the Lecture Room of Building C FMIPA.

A graduate of the Master and Doctor of Biology at Kentucky University, he shared the ups and downs of being a seed ecologist. Several case studies were presented in the guest lecture, including the effect of smoke on seed germination in Australia, a country that has a massive fire rate. As a result of these forest fires, hundreds of hectares of land burned and consumed the vegetation on it. But uniquely, the seeds of plants that grow on the burned land are actually able to grow and germinate due to exposure to fire smoke. This case became the basis for the discovery of a special compound in smoke that causes seeds to germinate faster called butenolide, which later changed its name to karrikinolide (Karrik, in the Aboriginal language meaning smoke).

Another experience shared in the guest lecture was the research of Dr. Siti Nur Hidayati with Professor Tetsuya Kondo from Hokaido University on the germination of Trillium camschatcense in Japan. Plants that naturally germinate for 2 years are affected by a combination of light and temperature. In addition, Dr. Siti Nur Hidayati also shared her experience monitoring the manufacture of the largest seed bank in Asia in South Korea and also researching the development of Sambucus chinensis seeds at various heights in Taiwan and about the Rafflesia flower in Bengkulu. [Ratna/Mnr/MIPA]