SEED GERMINATION RATES OF DIFFERENT COOL SEASON LEGUMES

Abstract

Temperature is the main factor affecting plant growth and development. Seedgermination and seedling establishment are the most critical stages in the life cycleof plants For the purposes of the study, the germination temperatures of six coolseasonlegumes (Vicia faba, Lens esculentus, Vicia sativa, Lupinus albus, Pisumsativum, and Lathyrus sativus) important cultivars were determined. Seedgermination rate was measured at different temperatures in the range 4-10 C in agrowth chamber with constant parameters (light, water) at three-day intervals for aperiod of three weeks. Each treatment was repeated four times for each temperaturevalue, where 100 seeds were placed in five different separate glass madecontainers. The measurements were taken at three-day intervals. A seed wasdeemed to have germinated when at least 1 mm of radicle was visible. It was foundthat pea germinated faster than the rest cultivars under low temperatures, whereasVicia sativa and Lathyrus sativus showed the slowest germination rates. Thedescending order of germination rate Pisum sativum> Vicia faba > Lensesculentus> Lathyrus sativus >Vicia sativa>Lupinus albus. Germination rateincreased with increasing temperature for all cultivars. Lupinus albus was thelegume seed with the less germination percentage. Therefore, temperature is themost limited factor on germination process and the increase of 4 degrees is enoughto give better germination results. As a general conclusion, Pisum sativum andVicia faba may satisfactorily germinate in rather cool micro-environments, andtheir sowing in the fall may be postponed for some weeks without substantialgermination risk comparing to the rest legume cultivars.