Irradiance Level and Duration Required to Terminate the Dormancy of Begonia ×semperflorens Seed

Abstract

Begonia ×semperflorens-cultorum Hort. `Prelude Scarlet' seeds varied within irradiance treatments in the irradiance level and duration that they required to reach the light saturation value and germinate. At high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), seeds required light for only part of the germination period to terminate photodormancy. Germination >90% was achieved after 4 and 1 day of 24 hours/day exposure to PAR at 15 and 150 μmol·m–2·s–1, respectively, but 82% germination occurred after 4 days of irradiance at 1.5 μmol·m–2·s–1 at 27C. Fewer days to 50% of final germination (T50) and between 10% and 90% germination (T90 – T10) were required when light saturation was achieved after 1 day at high PAR rather than after 4 days at a low PAR level. The total PAR that seeds received during 6, 12, or 24 hours of light daily determined the total percentage of the seeds that germinated. Seeds receiving 150 μmol·m–2·s–1 continuously for ≥24 hours achieved 90% germination, but 6 or 12 hours daily at this irradiance level required 4 days and 3 days, respectively. Trends in total germination percentages (G), T50, or T90 – T10 with increased PAR levels, hours of light daily, or days of light were found by fitted regression equations and Tukey's hsd procedure. Begonia seed germination was promoted by PAR levels of 1.5 to 150 μmol·m–2·s–1 for periods ≤4 days, with darkness thereafter until cotyledon emergence.