SEED RESEARCH (JOURNAL OF SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)
Year:2012 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Germination and seedling growth are one of the most important stages of growth that determines the successfulness of crop production system. In order to examine the rice seed germination characteristics from foliar application of fertilizers containing nutrients and growth stimulants an experiment was conducted with split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design with six fertilizer treatments (T1-biosoil+bioroot; T2-alga+elfer 8-8-8; T3- biofolP+elfer Pedy; T4- biofolK+elfer Pedy, T5-elfer Fulvate Zn and T6 without the use of liquid fertilizer) as main plots and rice cultivars Shiroodi and Taroomhashemi as subplots with three replication at the Rice Research Institute-Department of Mazandaran in 2011. After harvesting germination and seedling growth experiment were conducted on harvested seeds. Analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between cultivars in germination, germination rate, uniformity of germination, time to 50% germination and shoot length. Shiroodi Cultivar had more rate of germination, speed of germination and uniformity of germination in comparison with Taroomhashemi. But Taroomhashemi had more shoot length and time to 50% germination compare with Shroodi. The results also showed significant differences among foliar application treatments in terms of root dry weight and shoot dry weight.T4 (biofulpotassium+elferpedy) treatment had significant differences with control and had the highest root and shoot dry weight.

This experiment was conducted in order to evaluate effect of Potassium Humte organic material and Kadostim on mini-tuber production of two potato cultivars under greenhouse condition in the greenhouse of "Potato Seed Production Company of Dasht-Zarrin Ardabil" during 2010. This experiment was conducted according to the factorial on the base of completely randomized design in three replications. Which the first factor was three levels of Potassium Humte organic matter (0, 1 and 2 ml per 1 liter of water), the second factor was three levels of Kadostim (0, 1 and 2ml per 1 liter of water) and the third factor was two potato cultivars (Agria and Savalan). In this experiment, virus-free plantlets were moved to isolated greenhouse and were planted in the plastic pots by 20×20×15cm with mixed bed as 1:1v/v by Biolan pit mass and perlite. Potassium Humte organic material and Kadostim were used in three stages of germination, tuberization and bulking. Analysis of variance from measured traits showed significant difference between different levels of Potassium Humte organic matter, Kadostim, cultivars and their interaction in terms of traits. Considering the importance of mini-tuber number and weight between 3-7g and bigger than 7g on mini-tuber production, treatment of Potassium Humte and Kadostim by 1ml in 1 liters of water in Savalan cultivar with 1371 mini-tuber numbers was selected as the better treatment. Relationship of mini-tuber number per square meter with mini-tuber number and weight smaller than 3g, between 3-7g and bigger than 7g and mini-tuber weight per square meter were positive and significant. The mini-tuber number per square meter and its components with mini-tuber weight per square meter, plant height, and mini-tuber size average, mini-tuber weight smaller than 3 g and between 3-7g of the regression coefficient the model explained 98.5 percent, and the best model was fitted.

In order to evaluate salinity effect on germination characteristics of canola seed, an experiment was conducted with factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with three replications at Agriculture and Natural Resources research center of Mazandaran in 2010. Treatments consisted of seven varieties (Zarfam, Sari flowers, line 18, line 14, RGS003, Hyola401 and lines 111) and three levels of salinity (control, 4, 8 and 12 dS/m). Germination percent and rate, primary root and shoot length and primary seedling fresh and dry weight were recorded. Results showed that increasing salinity levels decrease germination percent and germination components, so that the salinity of 8 and 12 dS/m reduced germination from 23.76% to 21.62 and 21.05% in the control (distilled water). Seed germination at 4dS/m was 22.86 percent. Germination rate was 11.84, 10.52, 8.57 and 7.87 (the number of seed per day) at 4, 8 and 12 dS/m, respectively. With increasing salinity primary root and shoot length, germination rate and percent and primary seedling fresh weight were reduced and at 12 dS/m seedlings growth were terminated. Maximum primary root length was observed at control treatment (52.76 cm) and at 4 and 8 dS/m reduced to 39.81 and 37.44 cm, respectively.

Savory is a medical plant which is indigenous in Hamedan, Iran. This research carried out to evaluate the effects of hydropriming and priming with potassium nitrate on Savory germination characters under drought and salinity stresses. Two separated experiments were implemented as a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement with four replications. Treatments were hydropriming with distilled water, priming with potassium nitrate (4% w/v) for 12h and without priming (control). In the first experiment, drought stress was induced by PEG6000 at four levels which were 0, -0.2, -0.4 and -0.6 MPa. For salinity stress in the second experiment, sodium chloride was used in four concentrations which were 0, 50, 100 and 150mM. Results showed that both salinity and drought stress had significant negative effect on final germination percentage; mean germination time, radicle and plumule length and seedling dry weight. Under non-stress condition, hydropriming had positive and significant effect on all seed germination characteristics. In general, by increasing drought and salinity stress, positive effects of hydropriming on seed germination characters reduced and the primed seeds with potassium nitrate showed significant priority in comparison with control and hydroprimed seeds.

In order to evaluate seed size effect on germination indices of two cultivars of chickpea (Arman and Hashem cultivar) an experiment was conducted in factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design with three replications in seed technology laboratory of Islamic Azad university Mashhad Branch in 2011. Factors included genotype in two levels (Arman & Hashem cultivar) and seed size in four levels (small, medium, large and control). The result showed that effect of genotype and seed size on germination percentage, germination rate, coleoptile length, seedling fresh weight and dry weight, seed vigor and seedling vigor index was significant. While seed size increased the germination percentage and germination rate was decreased. The highest germination percentage observed in small seeds of Hashem cultivar and control (96%) that had no significant different with other seeds. The highest germination rate was observed in small size of Hashem (13.1%) and Arman (8.8%) which had significant difference with the other seeds. Based on this result all of the germination characteristics such as germination rate shoot length, seed vigor and seedling length in small seed was better than large seeds; then, improvement of this indices improved emergence.

Drought and salinity are of the major factors limiting agricultural production in many countries. Therefore, these experiments were carried out using factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications. The first test, was consisted of two factors, six levels of salt stress with NaCl (0, -2, -4, -6, -8 and -10 bar) and hull (hull and dehull). The second test, was consisted of two factors, six levels of drought stress with polyethylene glycol (0, -2, -4, -6, -8 and -10 bar) and hull (hull and dehull). Standard germination test was conducted for 10 day at 25oC. Treatment of dehull on germination characteristics (germination percentage, germination rate, seedling length, vigor index, mean germination time and seedling dry weight) was significant at 1 percent. Effect of salt stress and interaction effect (salt stress*hull) germination characteristics except mean germination time was significant at the 1% level. But, for drought stress significantly (p≤0.01) affected on all traits. Under salinity stress, germination percentage in control treatment hull and dehull was 70 % and 94%, respectively. Germination percentage in -10 bars was 19 and 70%, respectively. In drought stress germination percent for hull and dehull was 39% and 91% respectively.

Emergence of crops affected by environmental factors such as water, soil, salinity, drought, planting depth and seed quality or seed deterioration. In order to evaluate the effect of salinity and seed deterioration on germination indices and seedling growth, a factorial experiment was carried out in completely randomized design with three replications at growth chamber. The first factor was salinity levels (0, -4 and -8 bar) and the second factor was seed deterioration levels (0, 24, 48, 72, 120 and 144 hours in 100% relativity humidity). The results showed that the interaction effect of salinity × seed deterioration was not significant on all traits, while the effect of salinity and seed deterioration was significant on total traits. Regression analysis showed that germination rate with 84.61% and germination percentage with 5.19% reduction per unit increase in salinity were the most sensitive and resistant traits to salinity, respectively. Also germination percentage and radicle length were the most sensitive and resistant to seed deterioration.

Seed priming improves seed germination characteristics. Faster reduction in seed power is one of the major problems in primed seeds in contrast of unprimed seeds. Thus, in order to study the effects of Slow Moisture Content Reduction (SMCR) on some germination characteristics related with seed vigor in primed Secale montanum seeds under accelerated aging; an experiment was carried out in complete randomized block design with factorial arrangement. Experimental factors were the aging period (0, 1, 2 and 3 days), priming treatments (Salicylic, Gibberellin and ascorbic) and moisture reduction treatments (slow moisture content reduce, conventional drying seeds after priming). Results showed that the effects of aging period, priming treatments and moisture reduction for all traits except normal seedling percentage were significant at 1% and normal seedling percentage was significant at 0.05% level. By increasing the aging period all traits reduced significantly, but SMCR improved germination characteristics under aging conditions. The highest germination percentage was attained from non-aged seeds which were primed with Salicylic Acid and Gibberellin.