Abstract
Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of seed treatment on germination of Cuscuta campestris. This may provide the possible ways to overcome the problem of dormancy in Cuscuta campestris. The experiments were conducted in the Laboratory of Crop Production and Horticulture, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, using mechanical scarification and tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4). For the mechanical scarification the treatments were unscarified, scarified using sandpaper and scarified using gravel arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) and replicated four times. For the tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4) scarification, the treatment of control, 9:1, 7:3, 1:1, 4:6, 3:7, 2:8 and 1:9 H2SO4 were laid out in a Split plot design and replicated three times. The mechanical scarification was not significant (P ≤ 0.05), a rapid increase of germination from day 3 to day 9 was observed, and the highest rate of germination percentage (14% - 22%) obtained on day 9. Tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid treatment of 4:6 concentrations significantly gave the highest C. campestris seeds germination percentage (40.07%) compared with the rest of the treatments, while the time of soaking the seeds in the tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid showed that soaking the seeds for 1 minute significantly gave the highest percentage germination (39.98%) of C. campestris compared with the 3 and 5 minutes soaking treatments. It can be concluded that sulphuric acid of 4:6 concentrations treatments has the potentiality to break dormancy of C. campestris seeds.
Highlights
These experiments were on mechanical scarification and concentrated tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4)
Mechanical scarification was achieved by subjecting Cuscuta campestris seeds to only three methods of scarification as follows: unscarified, scarified using sandpaper and scarified using small sand gravels of an average of 4.4 mm in diameter
The effects of tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid, soaking time and the interaction between tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid and soaking time on the germination of C. campestris seed was significant on day 3, 6, 9 and the combined mean for Trials I and II with the exception of day 6 in the Trial II and soaking time in the Trial I of day 6, Trial II of day 3, 6, 9 and the combined mean of day 3 (Table 1)
Summary
Family: Cuscutaceae) are distributed worldwide [1]. They have very low host specificity and attack many plants simultaneously. Cuscuta campestris is a parasitic annual plant that infests many food crops, ornamen-. (2015) Effect of Mechanical and Chemical Scarification on Germination of Dodder (Cuscuta campestris Yunck.) Seed. The impact of Cuscuta campestris ranges from moderate to severe reductions in growth of the host plant and in some instances may result in complete loss of vigor and death as reported by [3]. Tomato crop vigor is lowered due to Cuscuta infestation and tomato production yield is reduced by 25% to 75% [4]. It has been shown that field dodder infestation reduces carrot (Daucuscarota L.) yield by 70% - 90% and dodder weakens alfalfa, reduces its stand and can reduce yield of forage seed production by more than 50% [5]
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