Seed Germination of Seabeach Amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) as Influenced by Stratification, Temperature, and Light

Abstract

Abstract Freshly harvested seeds of seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus Raf.) were stratified (moist-prechilled) for 0, 30, 60, 90, or 120 days. Following stratification, seeds were germinated at 25C (77F) or an 8/16 hr thermoperiod of 30/20C (86/68F) with daily photoperiods at each temperature of 0 (total darkness) or 16 hr. Germination was recorded every 3 days for 30 days. Regardless of photoperiod or duration of stratification, germination at 25C (77F) was negligible. After 120 days of stratification, total (30-day) germination at 25C (77F) with photoperiods of 0 or 16 hr was 4 and 3%, respectively, whereas considerable germination occurred at 30/20C (86/68F). Germination increased linearily with increasing durations of stratification for both photoperiods when seeds were germinated at 30/20F (86/68F). In addition, germination increased when seeds were exposed to light. After stratification of 30 days and germination in the dark at 30/20C (86/68F), germination of 20% was observed by day 12 and increased to 27% by day 30, whereas for seeds exposed to a 16-hr photoperiod, 16% germination was noted by day 12 increasing to 38% by day 30. Following stratification of 120 days and germination in the dark at 30/20C (86/68F), germination of 49% was observed by day 12 increasing to 50% by day 30, whereas for seeds exposed to light, 82% germination was realized by day 12 increasing to 85% by day 30.