Manganese Enrichment of Tomato and Onion Seed1

Abstract

Abstract Soaking tomato seeds in MnS04 solutions of concentrations greater than 0.5 and 1 M MnS04 inhibited germination during treatment without affecting the viability of the seeds. The emergence and early growth of tomato seedlings and the emergence of onion seedlings in soil was greater using seeds previously treated with 1 M MnS04 than with untreated seeds or with seeds treated with 2 and 2.5 M MnS04. These treatments had no effect on onion seedling growth. Soaking seeds in 1 M MnS04 was effective in supplying the Mn requirements of tomato plants grown in Mn deficient solutions for Approx 40 days. Shorter periods of normal growth were obtained by treating the seeds with less than 1 M concn of MnS04. The amount of Mn retained after desorption and washing was greater with each increase in the soaking temp (0, 10, 20, and 30°C). A substantial amount of the Mn retained by the tomato and onion seeds after soaking appeared to be located on the seed coat or in the “outer space” of the tissue. With onion seeds, an additional portion of the Mn retained after soaking was located on the exchange sites of the seeds.