Germination Rate Index Research Articles

Germination and Seedling Properties of Lotus corniculatus L. Under Simulated Drought Stress

Drought is an important abiotic stress factor that reduces agricultural production and yield in many crops, including forage crops, in agricultural areas around the world. Lotus corniculatus L. is the agriculturally crucial perennial legume forage crop that can tolerate moderate drought. However, studies to determine the responses of L. corniculatus to drought are limited. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the seed germination and early seedling growth properties of L. corniculatus at different PEG6000 induced-drought treatments under in vitro conditions. In order to do this, L. corniculatus (cv. ‘AC Langille’) seeds were planted in MS (Murashige and Skoog/Gamborg) medium containing 0%, 4%, and 8% (w/v) PEG6000 for 14 days. In this study, germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index (speed of germination), shoot and root length, root to shoot length ratio, shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight, shoot and root dry matter ratio, root shoot dry matter ratio, shoot and root water content and seedling vigor index parameters were measured. Our results showed that increasing drought levels resulted in an overall significant reduction in germination and seedling growth parameters except shortened mean germination time (especially, 4% PEG6000 treatment) and increased shoot and root dry matter ratio at higher (especially, 8% PEG6000 treatment) drought levels. When important growth parameters such as length, fresh and dry weight, dry matter ratio and water content, which show the development of root and shoot organs, are evaluated together, it has been determined that the root is negatively affected by drought stress at a higher rate. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the L. corniculatus will suffer a high yield loss under the drought stress at the osmotic potential (-1.03 bar) created by 8% PEG6000 treatment.

Seed dormancy and germination responses of cannabis landraces to various pre-treatments

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of different pre-treatments for dormancy breaking and seed germination of five cannabis landraces. These landraces were collected from local growers in three regions of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, namely, Bergville (B), Hammersdale (H), and Ladysmith (L). Each genotype was assigned an alphabet and number based on where the seed material was collected. The five landraces were as follows, ‘B1’, ‘K1’, ‘H1’, ‘L1’, and ‘L2’. The study was conducted using various pre-treatments, including potassium nitrate (KNO3), hydrochloric acid (HCL), hot water (HW) at 70 °C, nitric acid (HNO3), dry prechilling at 10 °C, gibberellic acid (GA3), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and water, which served as the control. Before the germination test, the seed viability of cannabis landraces was assessed using the tetrazolium chloride (TCC) test. Afterward, the seeds were germinated in Petri dishes with cotton pads moistened with distilled water for five (5) days. The study was later validated under tunnel conditions. The parameters such as germination percentage, germination rate, seedling length, and seed vigour index of the germinated seeds were then measured. The landraces, dormancy breaking treatments, and their interactions showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in germination percentage, germination rate index, seedling length, and seed vigour index under both laboratory and tunnel conditions. In summary, GA3, KNO3 and prechilling were the most effective pre-treatments to improve the germination and seedling growth of cannabis genotypes and breaking seed dormancy. Therefore, it was concluded that cannabis genotypes had physiological dormancy.

Unraveling the new member Bacillus pumilus SH-9 of Bacillaceae family and its potential role in seed biopriming to mitigate drought stress in Oryza sativa

Rice is an important cereal crop cultivated worldwide to meet the need of hungry populations. Drought stress is a major problem that reduces crop productivity by up to 50 %. Beneficial microbes have the potential to mitigate drought stress in various crops. The use of beneficial microorganisms in seed biopriming techniques enhances germination potential through the production of antioxidants and phytohormones. In this study, the novel bacterial strain SH-9 was isolated and screened for various biological and stress tolerance assays. SH-9 exhibited plant growth-promoting characteristics such as abscisic acid production (2.18 ± 0.05 ng/ml), phosphate solubilization index (4.69 ± 0.30), and sucrose production (0.72 ± 0.05 mg/ml). The oxidative stress tolerance assay also revealed remarkable production of the antioxidant molecules catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Germination metrics were also measured through seed biopriming in the experimental plant (Oryza sativa) treated with SH-9. Surprisingly, SH-9 was found to be significantly drought-tolerant as it could tolerate drought up to 35 % PEG 6000. Seed biopriming enhanced the germination potential by up to 90 % and improved the seed vigor index, germination energy, and germination rate index. It also improved the seedling characteristics of rice compared with the control group. This study demonstrated that SH-9 has excellent potential to enhance the germination metrics even under stress. Molecular identification revealed that SH-9 is a new member of the Bacillaceae family with the gene accession number ON753949. Overall, it is expected that further research on seed biopriming employing SH-9 strain in plants will lead to this technique being employed as a form of sustainable management in agriculture.

Allelopathic Potential of Aqueous Plant Extracts Against Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Weeds

Allelopathy has been described as a negative or positive effect on a specific species of plant caused by a chemical produced by another species of plant. This research analyzed the allelopathic effect of various plant extracts against seed germination and seedling properties of some weed species in two experiments in the autumn of 2021. The impacts of plant extracts, such as peels of pomegranate (Punica granatum), green husk of walnuts (Juglans regia), leaves of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), galls of Aleppo oak (Quercus infectoria), rhizomes of cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), and tubers of nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus) plus control on some weed species, like Vaccaria pyramidata, Cynodon dactylon, Sorghum halepense, Trifolium campestre, Portulaca oleracea, Sinapis arvensis, Avena fatua), Hordeum glaucum and Daucus carota were evaluated. The first experiment was conducted in the lab and designed by a factorial-completely randomized design to investigate germination parameters such as final germination percentage (G), mean germination time (MGT), coefficient of the velocity of germination (CVG), and germination rate index (GRI), and another experiment was in a greenhouse and designed in a split-plot pattern, in which the plant extracts were placed in main plots. At the same time, the weed species were distributed in the sub-plots to evaluate the seedling of weeds’ fresh and dry weight and percent of weed inhibition (PWI). The characters’ means (from three replicates) were compared according to Duncan’s multiple range test at the 5% level. The laboratory trial revealed that the green walnut husk was the most successful in reducing all seed germination parameters compared to the control by 13.5, 5.16, and 8.37% for G, MGT, and GRI, respectively. For the greenhouse experiment, the eucalyptus leaves’ extract and pomegranate peels had a higher impact on reducing weed seedlings’ fresh and dry weight and PWI than the control. The most affected species were broad-leaved weeds, while grasses were the least affected. Our results indicated that green walnut husk has a significant role in decreasing seed germination and inhibiting the dry weight of seedlings. Thus, it can be used as a bioherbicide to prevent some weeds from sprouting and growing seedlings.

Evaluation of Maize (Zea mays L.) Germination Traits by Hydro-and Microwave Priming

To study the effects of hydropriming and seed priming with microwaves (MW) on the germination traits of maize (Zea mays L.), a laboratory pot experiment was carried out in 2023. The selected seed treatments were hydropriming with distilled water (0, 6, and 12 h) and microwave priming (0, 10, and 20 s) of the maize seeds. Studied traits were final germination percentage (FPG%), mean germination time (MGT), germination rate index (GRI), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), mean daily germination (MDG), peak value (PV), and Germination value (GV). According to the variance analysis of this study, the results indicated that both the priming treatments, hydro and MW, significantly affected all studied traits. The best values for FGP (88.88, 78.99%), MGT (4.07, 4.72 day), GRI (25.08, 21.46 % day-1), CVG (25.79, 23.86), MDG (7.4, 6.66 seed day-1), PV (1.9, 1.64), and GV (14.6, 12.19) were observed in priming with 10 s MW and 12 h hydro, respectively. The combination of hydro and MW priming also showed a significant effect for all traits, except FGP and MDG. Among the combination treatments, MW for 10 s and hydropriming for 12 h were the most effective in improving MGT (3.17 days), GRI (33.27 % day-1), CVG (31.62), PV (2.55), and GV (21.23). In contrast, the interaction between priming treatments had no significant effect on FGP or MDG. However, the MW for 10 s and hydropriming for 12 h resulted in a higher FGP (100%) and MDG (8.33 days). Overall, the findings suggest that hydropriming and seed priming with microwaves is a promising technique for improving maize germination.

Germination response of Oat (Avena sativa L.) to temperature and salinity using halothermal time model

Seed germination is a complex physiological process influenced by abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, salinity along with other biological and physical means. Halothermal time model (HaloTT) permitted quantitative assessment of seed germination at different water potential (ψ) and temperature (T). The present study aimed to evaluate the reliability of HaloTT model and to find cardinal temperature values for seed germination of Oats under various Ts and ψs. Avena sativa L. Var. Swan seeds were incubated at seven constant Ts under five various ψs prepared through sodium chloride (NaCl) at Plant Physiology Lab., University of Peshawar, Pakistan. The cardinal Ts measured through HaloTT model for Oats seed germination were 10, 30 and 40 °C for the base (Tb), optimum (To) and ceiling (Tc) temperatures correspondingly in distilled water (0 MPa). The maximum halotime constant (θHalo) was recorded as 48 MPa °Ch−1 at 30 °C in distilled water (0 MPa). The highest value of halotime and thermal time of germination rate was observed at -2.0 MPa at 40 °C. Germination percentage (GP), germination rate index (GRI), germination energy (GE), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), timson germination index (TGI), mean germination rate (MGR) and coefficient of variation of germination time (CVt) was observed maximum in 0 MPa at 30 °C, while minimum in -2.0 MPa at 40 °C. Contrarily the high rate of mean germination time (MGT) and time to 50 % germination (T50 %) was reported in -2.0 MPa and -1.5 MPa at 10 and 40 °C, while in distilled water (0 MPa) is lowest at 25 and 30 °C. Thus, we concluded that HaloTT model precisely interpret germination responses to various ψs across different Ts and may be used as an accurate and simple method to predict germination parameters under natural field conditions.

Effects of Different Treatments on Seed Germination of Salvia miltiorrhiza

To study the effects of different treatments on the germination characteristics of Salvia miltiorrhiza seed, Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds were treated by fludioxonil and carbendazim, and were studied with different thickness of covering soil. The results showed that with the increase of soil cover thickness, the germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds significantly decreased. The thickness of covering soil was 0 cm, the germination of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds was the best and the germination rate was 42.08%. When the thickness of covering soil was 1.0 cm, the germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds significantly decreased, only 2.91%, which was 93.08% lower than the control. The appropriate concentration of seed coating agent can improve the germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds. When the soil thickness was 0 cm+1.25 g∙L-1 fludioxonil, the best germination effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds was observed, and the germination rate was 59.17%, which increased 40.61% compared to 0 cm soil alone. The germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds treated with 0 cm+2.5 g∙L-1 fludioxonil was only 13.75%, which was 28.33% lower than the germinationg rate with the soil thickness of 0 cm alone. There was no significant difference in the germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds treated with 0.05% carbendazim compared with the control group; The germination rate of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds treated with 0.1% carbendazim was significantly lower than that of the control group covered with 0 cm soil alone. In summary, The best germination level of Salvia miltiorrhiza seed was the cover thickness of 0 cm soil and 1.25 g ∙ L-1 concentration of fludioxonil, ( 0 cm+1.25 g∙L-1). The treatment of seeds with 2.5 g∙L-1 concentration of chloramphenicol showed a significant inhibitory effect on the germination of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds. In conclusion, Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds treated with 1.25 g∙L-1 concentration of fludioxonil and 0 cm covered soil, the germination rate, germination potential, and germination index are 59.17%, 51.67%, and 14.27, respectively, which increased by 40.61%, 61.07%, 77.28% compared with the soil of 0 cm alone. It is suggested that breeding of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds should be carried out on land with the appropriate concentration of fludioxonil.

Relationship between laboratory and field assessments of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seed quality indicators

The objective of this study was to extend the measure of seed quality beyond seed germination using three common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris. L) cultivars. Under laboratory conditions, total seed germination was included in calculation of other seed performance measures, mean germination rate and germination vigour index. These parameters were used to produce a new parameter, total potential value for germination. The laboratory measures were duplicated under field conditions over two seasons to produce comparable data for seedling emergence, mean emergence rate and emergence vigour index. Consequently, total potential value for emergence was derived. The crop was grown under field conditions at three seeding rates (177 000 plants ha-1, 150 000 plants ha-1 and 115 000 plants ha-1). Prediction of seed performance under field conditions was extended by measuring plant size from the first trifoliate to initiation of reproductive stage. During this period, new measures comparable to those of laboratory seed vigour and emergence vigour were derived on the basis of vegetative growth vigour, resulting in total potential value of plant growth. The study revealed that germination and plant growth can be correlated using vigour indices.

Effects of hormonal and magneto-priming on seed germination traits of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) seeds were tested to discover how different priming techniques affected their germination rates, a pot experiment was conducted by the combination procedures for seed priming with magnetic fields (magneto-priming) and hormonal priming seed with gibberellic acid (AG3) or ascorbic acid (AsA). Final germination percentage (FGB), mean germination time (MGT), germination rate index (GRI), coefficient of the velocity of germination (CVG), mean daily germination (MDG), peak value (PV), and germination value (GV) are all included as germination metrics. Among the two durations of exposure time to magneto-priming used, the significantly highest FGB, GRI, CVG, MDG, PV and GV were reported in the primed with the time duration 1 h (MP2), significantly lowest MGT for MGT in days. Whereas among the two hormonal primings used, GA3 recorded the highest increases upon the unprimed seeds for FGB, GRI, CVG, MDG, PV, and GV, in addition, significantly lowest MGT for MGT in days. However, when magnetic seed is combined shows the highest increase rates compared to the control treatment for time exposure for 1 h (MP2) with GA3 or AsA in all studied traits, in addition to the lowest rates decrease in MGT. Overall, the findings imply that seed priming by magnetic field and hormone priming via GA3 or AsA may be promising and practical priming techniques because of their favorable impacts on some physiological sorghum characteristics. Keywords: Wheat, physiological parameters, gibberellic acid, UV-C radiation, hydro-priming.

Effect of growing media on seed germination and seedling growth in Magnolia gustavii, a Critically Endangered tree species

The experiments were carried out to study the effect of growing media on seed germination and seedling growth of Magnolia gustavii King. – accredited as a Critically Endangered tree species naturally occurring in Assam, India. The trials were conducted in Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three (03) different treatments with different combinations viz. T1 – Soil: Sand (1:1), T2 – Coarse Sand and T3 – Soil: Sand: FYM (1:1:1). The seed germination data were recorded on a daily basis and germination parameters viz.- final germination percentage (FGP), mean germination time (MGT), first day of germination (FDG), last day of germination (LDG), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), germination rate index (GRI), germination index (GI), time spread of germination (TSG), and peak value of mean germination (PVMG) were estimated and data were statistically analyzed. Synergistic weightage given to all the parameters led to the conclusion that Coarse Sand is the most appropriate medium with respect to seed germination and seedling vigour in M. gustavii King.

YOLOv8-Peas: a lightweight drought tolerance method for peas based on seed germination vigor.

Drought stress has become an important factor affecting global food production. Screening and breeding new varieties of peas (Pisum sativum L.) for drought-tolerant is of critical importance to ensure sustainable agricultural production and global food security. Germination rate and germination index are important indicators of seed germination vigor, and the level of germination vigor of pea seeds directly affects their yield and quality. The traditional manual germination detection can hardly meet the demand of full-time sequence nondestructive detection. We propose YOLOv8-Peas, an improved YOLOv8-n based method for the detection of pea germination vigor. We constructed a pea germination dataset and used multiple data augmentation methods to improve the robustness of the model in real-world scenarios. By introducing the C2f-Ghost structure and depth-separable convolution, the model computational complexity is reduced and the model size is compressed. In addition, the original detector head is replaced by the self-designed PDetect detector head, which significantly improves the computational efficiency of the model. The Coordinate Attention (CA) mechanism is added to the backbone network to enhance the model's ability to localize and extract features from critical regions. The neck used a lightweight Content-Aware ReAssembly of FEatures (CARAFE) upsampling operator to capture and retain detailed features at low levels. The Adam optimizer is used to improve the model's learning ability in complex parameter spaces, thus improving the model's detection performance. The experimental results showed that the Params, FLOPs, and Weight Size of YOLOv8-Peas were 1.17M, 3.2G, and 2.7MB, respectively, which decreased by 61.2%, 61%, and 56.5% compared with the original YOLOv8-n. The mAP of YOLOv8-Peas was on par with that of YOLOv8-n, reaching 98.7%, and achieved a detection speed of 116.2FPS. We used PEG6000 to simulate different drought environments and YOLOv8-Peas to analyze and quantify the germination vigor of different genotypes of peas, and screened for the best drought-resistant pea varieties. Our model effectively reduces deployment costs, improves detection efficiency, and provides a scientific theoretical basis for drought-resistant genotype screening in pea.

Farklı Sürelerde Depolanan Maş Fasulyesi Tohumlarında Çimlenme Ve Kalite Özelliklerindeki Değişim

Maintaining seed quality during long-term storage of plant genetic resources is crucial to avert projected food crises linked to a changing climate and a growing world population. However, seed viability caused by senescence during storage remains an unavoidable process that jeopardizes productivity in some traditional seed crop species. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the change in germination and quality characteristics of mung bean seeds stored under the same storage conditions for different periods of time. In the study, mung bean seeds numbered 02G05, 07A05 and 07G04 were used as seed material and stored under the same temperature and humidity conditions for 36, 48, 60, 72 and 96 months. In the study, germination rate, germination index, moisture content, water absorption capacity and water absorption index of mung bean seeds decreased as the storage period increased, while mean germination time, electrical conductivity, cooking time and dry matter loss during cooking increased. In the study, seeds of mung bean genotypes stored for 36 months showed better germination rate and germination index, followed by seeds stored for 48 and 60 months and significant decreases were determined in the following months. 02G05 genotype stood out in terms of germination characteristics and some quality characteristics and was the least affected by the prolonged storage period. In the study, the highest and positive correlation was determined between cooking time and dry matter loss during cooking, while the lowest negative correlation was determined between moisture content and electrical conductivity and between water absorption capacity and cooking time. As a result, it can be suggested that mung bean seeds can be stored for 60 months for germination characteristics and 36 months for quality characteristics without causing any negativity, but after these months, storage can be terminated as negativity in germination and quality characteristics will begin

Physiological and Germination Responses of Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) Seeds to Varying Osmotic Potentials and Cardinal Temperatures via a Hydrothermal Time Model.

Climatic changes have a direct negative impact on the growth, development, and productivity of crops. The water potential (ψ) and temperature (T) are important limiting factors that influence the rate of seed germination and growth indices. To examine how the germination of seed responds to changes in water potential and temperature, the hydrotime model and hydrothermal model (HTT) have been employed. The HTT calculates the concept of germination time across temperatures, between Tb-To, with alteration, and between Tb-Tc, in supra-optimal ranges. The seeds of Cucumis melo L. were germinated in the laboratory for a hydro-thermal time experiment. Seeds were sown in Petri dishes containing a double-layered filter paper at different osmotic potentials (0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, and -0.8 MPa) by providing PEG 6000 (drought stress enhancer) at different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C). The controlled replicate was treated with 10 mL of distilled water and the rest with 10 mL of PEG solution. Results indicated that the seed vigor index (SVI-II) was highest at 15 °C with 0 MPa and lowest at 30 °C with -0.2 MPa. However, the highest activity was shown at 15 °C by catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) at (-0.6 MPa), while the lowest values of CAT and GPX were recorded for control at 35 °C with -0.8 MPa at 35 °C, respectively. Germination energy was positively correlated with germination index (GI), germination percentage (G%), germination rate index, seed vigor index-I (SVI-I), mean moisture content (MMC), and root shoot ratio (RSR) and had a negative correlation with mean germination rate, percent moisture content of shoot and root, CAT, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase ascorbate peroxidase, and GPX. In conclusion, thermal and hydrotime models correctly predicted muskmelon germination time in response to varying water potential and temperature. The agronomic attributes were found to be maximum at 30 °C and minimum at 15 °C.

Utilizing hydrothermal time models to assess the effects of temperature and osmotic stress on maize (Zea mays L.) germination and physiological responses

The application of germination models in economic crop management makes them extremely useful for predicting seed germination. Hence, we examined the effect of varying water potentials (Ψs; 0. − 0.3, − 0.6, − 0.9, − 1.2 MPa) and temperatures (Ts; 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 °C) on maize germination and enzymatic antioxidant mechanism. We observed that varying Ts and Ψs significantly influenced germination percentage (GP) and germination rate (GR), and other germination parameters, including germination rate index (GRI), germination index (GI), mean germination index (MGI), mean germination time (MGT), coefficient of the velocity of germination (CVG), and germination energy (GE) (p ≤ 0.01). Maximum (87.60) and minimum (55.20) hydro-time constant (θH) were reported at 35 °C and 20 °C, respectively. In addition, base water potential at 50 percentiles was highest at 30 °C (15.84 MPa) and lowest at 20 °C (15.46 MPa). Furthermore, the optimal, low, and ceiling T (To, Tb and Tc, respectively) were determined as 30 °C, 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The highest θT1 and θT2 were reported at 40 °C (0 MPa) and 20 °C (− 0.9 MPa), respectively. HTT has a higher value (R2 = 0.43 at 40 °C) at sub-optimal than supra-optimal temperatures (R2 = 0.41 at 40 °C). Antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), increased with decreasing Ψs. In contrast, CAT and POD were higher at 20 °C and 40 °C but declined at 25, 30, and 35 °C. The APX and GPX remained unchanged at 20, 25, 30, and 40 °C but declined at 35 °C. Thus, maintaining enzymatic activity is a protective mechanism against oxidative stress. A decline in germination characteristics may result from energy diverting to anti-stress tools (antioxidant enzymes) necessary for eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS) to reduce salinity-induced oxidative damage. The parameters examined in this study are easily applicable to simulation models of Z. mays L. germination under extreme environmental conditions characterized by water deficits and temperature fluctuations.

Identification of novel candidate loci and genes for seed vigor-related traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) via GWAS.

Seed vigor (SV) is a crucial trait determining the quality of crop seeds. Currently, over 80% of China's cotton-planting area is in Xinjiang Province, where a fully mechanized planting model is adopted, accounting for more than 90% of the total fiber production. Therefore, identifying SV-related loci and genes is crucial for improving cotton yield in Xinjiang. In this study, three seed vigor-related traits, including germination potential, germination rate, and germination index, were investigated across three environments in a panel of 355 diverse accessions based on 2,261,854 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A total of 26 significant SNPs were detected and divided into six quantitative trait locus regions, including 121 predicted candidate genes. By combining gene expression, gene annotation, and haplotype analysis, two novel candidate genes (Ghir_A09G002730 and Ghir_D03G009280) within qGR-A09-1 and qGI/GP/GR-D03-3 were associated with vigor-related traits, and Ghir_A09G002730 was found to be involved in artificial selection during cotton breeding by population genetic analysis. Thus, understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying seed vigor-related traits in cotton could help increase the efficiency of direct seeding by molecular marker-assisted selection breeding.

Effect of Sodium Azide Treatment at Different Duration and Concentration on germination and Seedling Growth Characters in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat in the world and in Turkey to be essential nutrients to maintain the leading status in the still, as a result, it is widely cultivated. Therefore, it is important to increase the genetic and physiological diversity in wheat. Mutation breeding is an effective method for increasing genetic diversity in cultivated plants. The aim of this study is the identification of different duration [control (10 min), 1 h, 2 h and 3 h] effects and concentrations [0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mM] of sodium azide (NaN3) mutagen in germination and seedling growth on wheat (Kırik cultivar) and determine the optimum doses of sodium azit which can be used in breeding programs. This study was conducted in 4 replicates according to the completely randomized factorial design. Some germination and seedling characters were investigated in this study. The results showed that except the germination percentage application of sodium azide in different concentrations and duration were significantly affected all considering traits. We believe that increase concentration and duration treatment of SA leads to decreases germination rate index and germination vigor index despite that means time to germination also was increased. Likewise, seedling growth characters significantly were affected by NaN3 application concentration and duration. Also based on the value of LD50 2 h treatment + 1 mM concentration was determined for the optimum dose of the applied root and shoot length.

Dose-Dependent and Species-Specific Effects of Wood Distillate Addition on the Germination Performance of Threatened Arable Plants.

Wood distillate (WD) is a bio-based product applied to crop plants for its known action in terms of growth promotion and yield enhancement, but studies are lacking on its effects on the germination of arable plants. To test such effects, we applied WD at six different concentrations on the diaspores of three threatened arable plants: Bromus secalinus, Centaurea cyanus, and Legousia speculum-veneris. For all the studied species, the effect of WD was dose-dependent and species-specific. In B. secalinus, the germination percentage (GP) decreased at 0.125% WD but then remained stable at higher concentrations up to 1%. At 2% WD, almost no germination was observed. Mean germination time (MGT) was not influenced up to 1% WD but significantly increased at 2% WD. The germination rate index (GRI) and germination energy (GE) remained unaffected up to 1% WD but decreased at 2% WD. In C. cyanus, WD had no effects on GP and GE at any concentration. MGT showed no difference with the control up to 1% WD, but significantly increased at 2% WD. GRI increased only at low concentrations (0.125% and 0.25%). The germination performance of L. speculum-veneris was unaffected up to 0.25% WD for all the tested parameters. From 0.5% WD, a reduction in GP, GRI, and GE and an increase in MGT were observed. At 2% WD, germination was totally blocked. Our results suggest that using WD at low concentrations (<0.5%), those commonly used in arable crops, does not affect the germination of the three investigated plant species.

Relationship between different physiological processes of Tomato seedlings exposed to acid mine water Uncovered using correlation analysis

This study was conducted to assess the correlation between growth response, phytoaccumulation factor of different tissues, and elemental composition in tomato seedlings exposed to acid mine water (AMW). In pairwise correlation determinations values of plant height, stem diameter, seed germination indices (radicle length, final germination percentage (FGP), emergency rate index (ERI), vigour index (VI), germination percentage (G%) and germination rate index (GRI)) and the elemental compositions (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn) in the different plant tissues, root (root accumulation factor = RAF), stem (stem translocation factor = STF) and leaves (leaf translocation factor = LTF) were selected for the relationship determinations. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated and revealed the relationships between the paired parameters. The study concluded that the strongly correlated physiological parameters were jointly co-ordinated in tomato seedlings exposed to AMW.

Growth Promoting Potential of Phosphate Solubilizing Enterobacter Cloaca and Enterobacter Hormaechei on Maize and Cowpea Seedlings

Introduction: Phosphorus plays a range of functions in the proper growth and development of plants. Numerous microbial species, including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and even algae have been found to play a crucial role in the solubilization of phosphate. This study was therefore aimed at exploring the growth-promoting potential of phosphate solubilizing Enterobacter species on maize and cowpea seedlings. Methods: Five strains that showed remarkable phosphate solubilization potential were used for the study. The bacterial isolates consist of three strains of Enterobacter cloaca and two strains of Enterobacter hormaechei. Growth promotion studies were carried out under laboratory conditions (in blotters) and green house (soil environment). In the blotter study, percent germination, germination index, germination time, germination rate, and vigor index were estimated, while shoot and root lengths, number of leaves, and wet weight were estimated in the greenhouse study. Results: In both seedlings, percent germination, germination index, and vigor index showed significantly higher values in seeds primed with the isolates than in the water-treated seeds (p≤ 0.05). Throughout the period of planting, the shoot and root lengths of the isolate-treated seedlings showed significantly higher values than the untreated control setups. This observation was irrespective of the maize and cowpea seedlings. In both seedlings, shoot and root lengths were directly proportional to days of growth. The bacterial strains showed significantly higher growth promoting potential on the seedlings. Conclusion: Therefore, the availability of these phosphate solubilizing microorganisms in the soil could enhance the growth of the seeds.

Potensi Ekstrak Daun Kelor (Moringa oleifera) sebagai Agen Priming pada Performa Perkecambahan Biji Bawang Merah

Moringa leaf extract is a biostimulant containing various phytohormones that can spur plant growth and development. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Moringa leaf extract as a priming agent on the germination performance of shallot seeds. The experiment began with leaf extract preparation, seed priming, and germination testing. The data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA, and if there was a significant effect, further tested with the BNJ test with α = 0.05. The data were processed using RStudio software version 4.2.1. The results stated that seed priming with leaf extract concentration of 37.5% had the best effect on all germination parameters, including average germination time (2.19 days), final germination percentage (96.53%), seed germination uniformity (95.83%), germination velocity coefficient (45.85), germination rate index (50.48%/day), sprout vigor index I (790.58), sprout vigor index II (31.30), plumula length (6.53 cm), radicle length (1.66 cm), sprout fresh weight (0.32 g), and sprout dry weight (0.0233 g). It was concluded that Moringa leaf extract has the potential as a priming agent for shallot seeds.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: botanical seed, moringa leaf, priming, shallot