Germination Rate Index Research Articles

X-radiation of Lotus corniculatus L. seeds improves germination and initial seedling growth

Purpose Lotus corniculatus L. (bird’s foot trefoil, BFT) is a valuable perennial legume forage species due to its high nutritive value, persistence under grazing, and condensed tannin content that improves ruminant production and prevents bloating. However, it is less preferred by farmers compared with other perennial forage legumes such as alfalfa because of slow germination, slow establishment and low seedling vigor. This study was conducted to determine whether X-ray seed priming could improve these deficiencies. Materials and methods Seeds of L. corniculatus cv. ‘AC Langille’ were irradiated at 0, 100, and 300 Gy. Non-irradiated and irradiated seeds were sown on Murashige and Skoog/Gamborg medium under in vitro conditions and cultured for 21 days. Germination percentage, mean germination time (MGT), germination rate index, length of shoot and root, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, dry matter ratios of shoot and root, water content of shoot and root, and seedling vigor index were measured. Results The results of this study demonstrated that X-ray seed priming significantly increased the germination percentage of L. corniculatus, increased the germination rate and thereby shortened the MGT, and improved seedling growth. However, X-ray pretreatment also decreased seedling shoot and root biomass. Conclusions In this study, it is reported for the first time that X-ray seed pretreatment has the potential to address important seedling establishment issues in L. corniculatus.

Evaluation of Energy Efficiency of Different Seeding Methods in Grain Maize Production

In the study, the mean germination time (MED) was determined as 16.6 days, 21.08 days, and 9.75 days in the traditional sowing method, cross double row sowing method and Parallel double row planting method, respectively, and the germination rate index (ERI) in the same order. It was found as 0.31 - 0.52 - 0.40 pieces/m.day. Grain yield was 15260 kg/ha in traditional sowing method, 22330 kg/ha in cross double row sowing method and 18300 kg/ha in parallel double row sowing method. As a result of the experiments and calculations, the net energy yield was found to be 297,353.23 Mj/ha, 238.986.57 Mj/ha, 194.782.97 Mj/ha, respectively, than the cross double row planting method, parallel double row planting method and traditional planting method. The maximum energy efficiency was obtained in the cross double row planting method as 0.79 kg/Mj, followed by the parallel double row planting method and the traditional planting method with the values of 0.66 kg/Mj and 0.55 kg/Mj, respectively. The maximum output/input ratio was found in cross double row planting with 11,54%, then parallel double row planting with 9,59% and traditional planting with 8,03%. This study reveals that the cross-planting method is more advantageous than other methods and that this method can be used economically.

Parthenium hysterophorus Weed Fecundity and Seed Survival at Different Soil pH and Burial Conditions

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is regarded as one of the most invasive weed species. This study evaluated the effect of soil pH on P. hyterophorus weed growth and fecundity, as well as the effect of burial depths on P. hyterophorus seed survival and emergence. The first study evaluated five soil pH levels (acidic, sub-acidic, neutral, sub-basic, and basic) in a randomised complete block design. Seed germinability and subsequent seedling growth (height, leaf area, biomass, and seed number/plant) were evaluated. This study showed that P. hysterophorus seeds have a similar germination capacity under varying soil pH conditions. However, acidic soil indicated accelerated growth (25% higher biomass with 15.2% more leaf area) and fecundity (13.4% faster to enter the flowering stage at 74 days after sowing). In the second study, two factors were tested; burial depths (0.5, 5, 10, and 20 cm) being nested into seven burial durations (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months). Seed viability (final germination percentage and germination rate index), electrical conductance, and emergence percentage were assessed with the burial conditions. The results showed that only seed buried at 0.5 cm depth indicated emergence (81.3% of cumulative emergence). Forty per cent of the seeds remained viable after exhumation at 0.5–5 cm depth, while only 19–27% survived as the burial depth increased beyond 10 cm depth within 12 months. The seed remained viable for more than 12 months as a seed bank, despite faster deterioration at increasing soil depth.

Gum Arabic capped Cu/Zn bimetallic nanoparticles for the germination and growth of chickpea

Taking a note on the use of Cu and Zn in plant growth, in the present study, Gum Arabic (GA) capped Cu/Zn bimetallic nanoparticles (Cu/Zn@GA) Nps have been crafted by chemical reduction method. The Cu/Zn@GA Nps were extensively characterized by Uv–vis, FT-IR, FEG-SEM, EDX and HR-TEM analyses. The formation of Cu/Zn@GA Nps was evidenced by observation of SPR peak at 579 nm. The HR-TEM study revealed that Cu/Zn@GA Nps have an average particle size of ∼ 6 nm. The germination and growth of chickpea plant was studied under the influence of Cu/Zn@GA Nps where it behaved as an efficient plant-growth regulator. The effect of Cu/Zn@GA Nps on the germination percentage (100%), mean germination time, germination rate index, shoot length, count of number of leaves and branches, plant biomass and chlorophyll content of chickpea plants were studied. In different sets of experiments, concentration of Cu/Zn@GA Nps was varied (0.5%, 1%, 2% and 5% v/v) and the growth trend of chickpea plants was monitored for 20 days. The plant showed best germination and growth under the influence of 1% (v/v) concentration of Cu/Zn@GA Nps.

Responses of maize germination, root morphology and leaf trait to characteristics of lead pollution: a case study

On base of the content of Pb in the soil under different land use patterns in Lanping Lead-zinc mining area, Yunnan in southwest China, the root morphology and leaf traits of maize in different concentration Pb (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 mg/L) were analyzed. The results showed that maize germination rate, germination vigor and growth index decreased with the increase of Pb concentration. The root length, surface area of maize increased by 0.21%–81.58%, 8.99%–73.43%, 1.50%–77.37%, respectively, under 20–500 mg/L Pb concentration. However, these parameters under 1000–3000 mg/L Pb concentration decreased by 37.86%–553.54%, 44.99%–766.16%, 55.99%–92.81%, respectively, and these lowest value appeared in 3000 mg/L Pb treatment. The root volume of maize increased by 4.57%–89.25% in 20–80 mg/L Pb concentration, and it decreased with the increase of Pb concentration when the Pb concentration was higher than 80 mg/L and decreased by 94.13% in 3000 mg/L Pb. The root surface area and length of 0.50–1.00 diameter class were higher than those of other diameter classes, and these value of maize under 500 mg/L Pb were higher than those of other concentrations. The length and perimeter of maize leaves with the highest value of 220.36 and 962.68 mm, respectively appeared in 60 mg/L Pb treatment. The leaf width and area of maize with the highest value of 15.68 mm and 2448.31 mm2, respectively, appeared in 40 mg/L Pb treatment, which indicated that the leaf traits of maize were promoted by low concentration Pb and inhibited by high concentration Pb.

Offspring of metal contaminated saltmarsh (Juncus acutus) exhibit tolerance to the essential metal Zn but not the nonessential metal Pb

Halophytes residing in metal-contaminated saltmarsh habitats may employ strategies to enhance fitness of the next generation. We aimed to test the hypothesis that Juncus acutus individuals inhabiting metal-contaminated locations would experience elevated tolerance of offspring to metals compared to plants residing in locations with no metal contamination history. J. acutus seeds (F1 generation) were collected from F0 parent plants residing at eight locations of a contemporary sediment metal gradient (contaminated to uncontaminated) across the coast of NSW, Australia (Hunter river, Lake Macquarie and Georges River). Seeds were exposed in the laboratory to incremental Zn (0.0–1.6 mM) and Pb (0.0–0.50 mM) for nine (9) days, and % germination, germination rate, root elongation and vigour index were assessed for the determination of tolerance. Greater root accumulation (BCF = 1.01) of Zn and subsequent translocation to aerial parts (culm BCF = 0.58 and capsule BCF = 0.85) were exhibited in parents plants, whereas Pb was excluded from roots (BCF = 0.60) and very little translocation to aerial portions of the plant was observed (culm BCF = 0.02 and capsule BCF = 0.05). F1 offspring exhibited tolerance to Zn with EC50 (% germination) significantly correlated with their parents' culm (R2 = 0.93, p = 0.00) and capsule (R2 = 0.57; p = 0.03) Zn. No correlations were observed between offspring Pb tolerance and Pb in parents’ plant tissues. Enhanced tolerance to the essential metal Zn may be because Zn is very mobile in the parent plant and seeds experience greater Zn load as a significant portion of sediment Zn reaches capsules (85%). Thus, Zn tolerance in J. acutus seeds is likely attributable to acclimation via maternal transfer of Zn; however, further manipulative experiments are required to disentangle potential acclimation, adaptation or epigenetic effects in explaining the tolerance observed.

Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution in Soil of Coal Gangue Area on Germination and Seedlings of Typical Remediation Plants

The problem of soil heavy metal pollution caused by coal gangue accumulation areas is becoming more and more serious. In situ plant remediation technology has become one of the most promising methods to solve heavy metal soil pollution due to its advantages of the green economy. In this experiment, the characteristics of heavy metal pollution in the shallow soil (vertical depth 0~20 cm) 300 m outside the square circle of a typical coal gangue accumulation area in the Fengfeng Mining Area of Hebei Province, China were used as the prototype. Alfalfa and ryegrass were selected as the test plants. Pot experiments were carried out at different heavy metal concentrations (Cu:14/64/100 mg/kg, Pb:15/38/170 mg/kg, Cd:1/4/8 mg/kg) levels to study and reveal the effects of single and compound soil heavy metal pollution on seed germination and seedling growth characteristics of alfalfa and ryegrass. The results showed that: (1) Under the condition of single Cd pollution, the germination index of alfalfa seeds and the germination potential of ryegrass seeds show a trend of “low concentration promotion and high concentration inhibition”. Under the condition of single Pb and Cu pollution in soil, the germination indices show obvious inhibition and damage effect; that is, with an increase in concentration, the germination rate, germination potential, germination potential, and vigor index show a decreasing trend. When Pb is 170 mg/kg or Cu is 100 mg/kg or Cd is 8 mg/kg, the inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth of the two plants is the most harmful. (2) Due to the different concentrations of heavy metal combined pollution, there are synergistic or antagonistic effects between Cu, Pb and Cd in soil on alfalfa and ryegrass. That is to say, under low concentrations of heavy metal pollution, the inhibitory effect of combined stress is greater than that of single stress, and under high concentration of heavy metal pollution, the inhibitory effect of combined stress is less than that of single stress. (3) Whether in the single pollution or combined pollution of soil, ryegrass is always more tolerant than alfalfa, indicating that ryegrass has more potential for remediation.

Natural Regeneration of Morus alba in Robinia pseudoacacia Plantation and the Mechanism of Seed Germination and Early Seedling Growth Restriction in the Yellow River Delta

There is a wide range of naturally regenerated Morus alba in the declining Robinia pseudoacacia plantation of the Yellow River Delta. It is important to clarify the key mechanism of natural regeneration of M. alba for the transformation of declining R. pseudoacacia plantation. According to the death density of R. pseudoacacia, the plantation of R. pseudoacacia was divided into nondeclining, moderately declining, and severely declining forests. The structural characteristics of adult trees and seedlings of M. alba in different decline degrees forest were investigated. A pot experiment was conducted to study the seed germination and early seedling growth of M. alba in saline alkali soil and nonsaline alkali soil under different soil salt contents and light intensities. The results showed that the natural regeneration of M. alba was obviously affected by the decline of R. pseudoacacia plantation. With the increase of decline degree, M. alba density and seedling density first increased and then decreased, and were the highest in the medium decline plantation. Under full light intensity, the vigor index of M. alba seeds and the biomass of seedlings were significantly greater than those of 25% full light intensity. The germination rate and germination index under 1‰ soil salt content were significantly lower than those under 3‰, but the biomass of seedlings was on the contrary. The 1000-seed weight, seed germination, and seedling biomass of moderately declining R. pseudoacacia plantations were close to those of nonsaline alkali land, while significantly higher than those of nondeclining plantations, but the germination index of moderately declining R. pseudoacacia plantation was higher than that of nonsaline alkali land. Therefore, the germination ability of maternal trees in saline alkali land was higher than that in nonsaline alkali land under salt stress.

Cold Tolerance Mechanisms in Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) Genotypes during Germination

Mungbean or greengram (Vigna radiata) is an important legume crop well known for its high protein with nitrogen-fixing abilities. However, the severe yield loss in mungbean occurs due to susceptibility to low temperatures at all stages of plant growth including germination and is a serious concern for its cultivation and productivity. To select cold-tolerant genotypes, a germination-based screening at 10 °C was performed in a total of 204 germplasms. The study showed that cold stress of the initial 8-days during seedling establishment imposed a negative impact throughout the life of mungbean genotypes, which were reflected in the vegetative and reproductive phase (plant height, days to 50% flowering and pods/plant, seeds/pod, yield/plant, and 100-seed weight). The biplot analysis showed that parameters such as germination rate index, Timson’s index, mean germination time, and coefficient of the velocity of germination are the key influential germination parameters for identifying cold tolerance in the seedling stage. Identified cold-tolerant genotype (PAU911) retained higher rootlet number, leaf area, and increased chlorophyll, carotenoid, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content at 10 °C. Based on the confocal microscopic study, it is noticed that the stomatal density, open pore percentage, and trichome density were significant differences in seedlings exposed to cold stress as compared to non-stress. On the basis of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis, it is observed that a new protein identified as TETRATRICOPEPTIDE-REPEAT THIOREDOXIN-LIKE1 (TTL1) (UNIPROT Identifier: LOC106762419) which highly correlated with the cold stress response of in the cold-tolerant genotype. Our study identifies a noble member, TTL1, whose expression has a positive role in cold tolerance response at the protein level in V. radiata. This study will help breeding programs with regard to the sustainable growth of mungbean.

Effects of Osmo-priming Duration on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seed Germination and Seedling Parameters

The study was conducted to determine the effects of osmo-priming duration on the germination and seedling parameters of rice seeds. Two rice varieties FARO 44 and FARO 59 were used for the study. Three osmo-priming chemicals (Calcium chloride CaCl, Potassium nitrate KN03 and Polyethylene glycol PEG6000) and four priming duration's (Control, 12, 24 and 36 hours in the above chemical solutions) as treatments in the study. Data were collected on the following parameters; final germination percentage, germination rate index, mean germination time, coefficient of velocity of germination, seedling height, seedling fresh weight and seedling dry weight. For most of the parameters, osmo-priming duration was statistically significant. The results showed that chemical priming treatments had significant effect on final germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index, coefficient of velocity of germination, seedling height and seedling weight of rice seeds. Primed with KNO3, PEG6000 and CaCl solution for a period of 24 - 36 hours is a remarkable technique for improving seed germination and seedling growth of rice. The no priming treatment showed the lowest final germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index, coefficient of velocity of germination, seedling height and seedling weight of rice seeds. Therefore, the present study concludes that improvement of germination capacity and rapidity of germination of rice seed could be possible by employing osmo-priming duration treatments.

Effect of pH on germination and seedling growth of maize

Soil pH is one of the most important limiting factors for crop cultivation, including maize. About 30-40% of the world's arable land is acidic, and over a billion ha is alkaline. Today, there are 205 million ha of arable land under maize in the world, so it ranks third in area after rice and wheat. Maize hybrids have wide genetic variability and high pH tolerance. We tested the tolerance of maize hybrids seedlings of ZP 4708 and ZP 5797 to pH 5, 6, 7, and 8. Results showed that hybrid ZP 4708 has a higher adaptability to low and high pH, due to the higher value of germination energy (GE), shoot length (ShL), shoot fresh weight (ShFW), shoot dry weight (ShDW), germination rate index (GRI), and seedling vigor index (SVI) than hybrid ZP 5797. Results further showed, on average for hybrids, that pH 5 and pH 8 significantly decreased the GE, root length (RL), ShL, root fresh weight (RFW), ShFW, root dry weight (RDW), shoot fresh weight (ShDW), and SVI. These parameters did not differ significantly between pH 6 and pH 7. Seed germination was not affected by the pH, indicating that the seed vigor of both hybrids supports full germination potential. However, it could be expected that exposure to the lowest and highest pH values of the medium could affect seedlings growth in the field conditions, even though germination is high. SVI showed a positive and significant correlation with all investigated parameters, except germination (G) and relative seedling water content (RSWC).

Seed priming with Mg(NO3) 2 and Ca(NO3) 2 salts influence the growth of tomato seedlings

Seed is the most valuable input in agriculture, and high-quality seeds are required for healthy crop production. Various seed quality enhancement technologies are continuously used for better establishment of crop in field. Seed priming is one of the best, cheapest, reliable and cost-effective strategies to boost seed germination and seedling establishment. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of seed priming with various concentration of Mg(NO3 )2 , and Ca(NO3 )2 salts in two tomato genotypes (VRT 06 and Punjab Chhuhara) on germination and seedling growth. The concentration level C0 to C7 (2.5 mM to 20 mM) were used for priming purpose and germination parameters were recorded. From the study of germination %, mean germination time (MGT)(days), Germination index (GI), Coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) and Germination rate index (GRI) (%/day), seedling length (cm), seedling fresh weight (FW) (mg), seedling dry weight (DW) (mg) and seedling vigor index (SVI), it was revealed that 7.5mM of Mg(NO3 )2 , and Ca(NO3 )2 , were the most effective treatments, which were able to improve performance of seedling establishment of tomato seeds.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SEED PRIMING METHODS ON RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) CV SUKKHA DHAN-3

Priming is control hydration of seeds in a solution of low osmotic potential to initiate germination to ensure uniform and efficient germination of seed. Erratic seed germination is a major problem of rice production that causes poor crop establishment, crops susceptible to abiotic stress, and insect, and disease infestation resulting in poor yield. Different seed priming methods can be a useful technology for farmers to solve this problem. To ascertain the impact of different seed priming methods an experiment was carried out in the Horticulture Lab of Campus of Live Sciences, Dang with 12 treatment combinations with 3 replications laid out in factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The treatments entailed; hydro-priming in tap water, hydro-priming in distilled water, polyethylene glycol PEG 6000 (5%), Ascorbic acid (2%), KNO3 (2%), Salicylic acid (2%), ZnSO4 (5%), NaCl (5%), MgCl2 (5%), CaCl2 (2%), Gibberellin (300ppm) and No priming as Control. The seeds were soaked for 24 hours in treatments followed by 12 hours of drying. The Priming treatment with ZnSO4 (5%) showed the most promising results for germination percentage (82%), root: shoot ratio (1.91), germination rate (5.47), germination energy (76.67) and seedling vigor. ZnSO4 (5%) was followed by PEG 6000(5%), distilled water, and KNO3 (2%). Beside this, root length (9.94cm) was found highest in PEG 6000(5%) followed by ZnSO4 (5%), KNO3 (2%), and distilled water. Shoot length (8.003cm), Speed of germination (90.38), and germination rate index (76.67) were highest in KNO3 (2%). This study concludes that ZnSO4 (5%) showed the best result among all treatments and all the priming treatments showed better performance except Salicylic acid (2%) and No priming (Control). The study concluded that besides Salicylic acid (2%), seed priming was found to be more effective than no priming and in enhancing seed performance by activating overall metabolic processes of seed.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF DISTILLERY EFFLUENTS ON THE INITIAL GROWTH OF SOYBEAN CULTIVARS

This study examined the effects of different levels of distillery effluents (referred to as RSW, BSW, and LS) on two varieties of soybean (Glycine max) called Punjab-1 and Alankar collected from Shamli Distillery and Chemical Works at Shamli (U.P.). In the study, concentrations ranged between 0.5% to 55% were used. Standard tap water was used as a control. Workers conducted germination tests on seeds of both soybean varieties with various levels of effluent treatments. The results showed that at lesser concentrations, there was a noticeable increment in both the proportion of germination and the germination rate index. However, if the concentration exceeded 5% for RSW and 10% for BSW and LS effluents, it hindered seed germination. These trends remained similar pertaining to the growth and biochemical aspects of plants from the two cultivars

Ultrasonic treatment to enhance seed germination and vigour of wheat (Triticum durum) in association with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt pathway.

Treatments of wheat (Triticum durum L.) seeds with sonication or hydropriming may enhance seed germination and vigour in association with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of sonication and hydropriming treatments on seed germination of wheat through the characterisation of seed germination performance, GABA shunt metabolite level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA transcription. Wheat seeds were exposed to three treatments for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20min: (1) sonication with water; (2) sonication without water; and (3) hydropriming without sonication. Treated seeds were evaluated for germination percentage, mean time to germinate, germination rate index in the warm germination test, and seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. GABA shunt metabolites level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of GAD mRNA transcription were measured for the seeds after treatments and for seedlings during germination and cold tests. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments had a higher germination rate index (faster germination) in the standard germination test, and higher seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments showed an enhancement in GABA shunt and their metabolites (alanine and glutamate), and GAD mRNA transcription level compared to untreated-control seeds. In conclusion, the sonication or hydropriming treatments significantly improved the germination performance of wheat and enhanced GABA metabolism to maintain the C:N metabolic balance, especially under cold stress.

Effect of Varying Color LED Lights on Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri) Bulbil Seed Germination and Porang Plant Vegetative Growth Phase

Intensive cultivation is one of the strategies for developing Porang commodities to increase production by using LED lights as optimum lighting for Porang cultivation. Porang bulbil was germinated and planted in a growth chamber with 100% red, 100% blue, 100% white, and 67%:20%:13% red:blue:white lighting. Compared to other LED treatments and sunlight, red:blue:white LED had the best effect on Porang plant germination parameters in the first 30 days, with 100% of germination parameters (GP %), 17.2 days of mean germination time (MGT), 6.33%/day of germination rate index (GRI), 5.81% of germination velocity coefficient (CVG), and 138.0 of germination index (GI). For the next 30 days, red:blue:white LED had the best effect on Porang plant vegetative growth, with 29.64 cm plant height, 11.43 cm crown diameter, 21.96 cm root length, 17.342 g fresh weight, 1.368 g dry weight, and 57.53 leaf green index. The plant height prediction model is used to predict crop yield, with the coefficient of determination (R2), root means square deviation (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and average absolute percentage error (MAPE) values up to 0.9854, 0,6894, 1,2623, and 3,9413, respectively, under model validation of the combination of LED.

Germinação de frutos consumidos pelo lobo-guará Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815) (Carnivora, Canidae)

Abstract Zoochory is a fundamental process that can be the main mechanism for seed and plant dispersal for many species. Mammals of the Carnivora order are among the most important dispersing agents; however, little is known regarding the role of canids as seed dispersers. Although the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) has a potentially important role in seed dispersal, given its relatively high consumption of fruits, few studies have investigated the germination rate of ingested seeds. Here, we used seeds removed from the feces of two captive specimens (maned wolf treatment) and those directly collected from unconsumed fruits (control) in germination essays to evaluate the germination rate and emergence velocity index (IVE). We used mature fruits from five species of trees in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest in a 5 (species) × 2 (method of seed collection) factorial arrangement. The passage of seeds through the digestive tract of the maned wolf favored the germination of Genipa americana and Psidium guajava, delayed germination of Psidium cattleianum, and maintained the germination of Plinia cauliflora and Ficus obtusifolia. Our results revealed that germination occurred for all tested plant species consumed by the maned wolf; therefore, this canid species has high dispersal potential and can be an important ally in the restoration of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest-Cerrado contact zone ecosystems.

In vitro Evaluation of Seed Germination in Twelve Alfalfa Cultivars under Salt Stress

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), when exposed to abiotic stress such as salinity, suffers significant losses in yield and productivity. The present study evaluated the salinity tolerance of 12 alfalfa cultivars in vitro using five concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl), ranging from 0 to 250 mmol L−1 . The results obtained in the current study revealed that the Saudi cultivars, Kasimi and Hassawi, and the German cultivar (Berlin) had the highest salinity tolerance in terms of germination percentage (GP), corrected germination rate index (CGRI), days to reach 50% germination (GT50), and ability to form cotyledonary and true leaves. Under mmol L−1 NaCl, the Saudi cultivar Kasimi cultivar showed GP, CGRI, and GT50 of 55.20%, 123.15, and 3.77 days, respectively. Similarly, the German cultivar (Berlin) showed GP, CGRI, and GT50 of 50.06%, 86.61, and 5.17 days, respectively. These findings might reveal a pivotal aspect in salt tolerance in alfalfa. Our results will help to select salt-tolerant alfalfa cultivars that could thrive in arid and semi-arid areas with salinity problems.

机械损伤对蓖麻种子发芽影响试验及损伤检测研究

To study the types of mechanical damage for castor seeds and their effects on germination, the image processing method was applied to detect the damage affecting germination. Two typical varieties of castor were selected for test. The type of mechanical damage of castor seeds was taken as the factor, the germination rate and germination vigor index were selected as indicators for one-way analysis of variance. The effects of mechanical damage on the germination of castor seeds were analyzed. Different algorithms were applied to extract the features of cracks and seed shell missing, and the corresponding defect parameters were calculated. The results showed that the effects of mechanical damage on the germination rate, germination potential, germination index, and vigor index of castor seeds were significant. The endosperm damage seriously affected the activity of castor seeds and seriously hindered seed germination. According to the analysis of the shell, some castor seeds cracked or there was incomplete shell damage at the same time, the internal endosperm being also damaged. The actual crack length was compared with the length measured by the ultra-depth of field microscope, which found that the margin of error was about 25% and the better error was 10%. Through the morphological processing, it could completely extract the characteristics of castor seed image without seed shells. The error between the extracted feature area and the measured object area function of the super depth of field microscope is about 10%.

Physical Properties and Germination Characteristics of Black Carrot Seeds of Kırıkhan Local Cultivar in Ereğli District of Konya Province

Black carrot production is an important agricultural activity for local farmers of Ereğli and Karapınar districts of Konya province. About 20% of the black carrots produced are used in turnip industry and 80% is used in concentrate production. The color value of black carrots of Kırıkhan local cultivar is higher than that of black carrots of Ereğli cultivar. Therefore, concentrate companies prefer the local cultivar of Kırıkhan in Ereğli and Karapınar Districts of Konya. In this study, some physical properties of black carrot seeds of local population of Kırıkhan cultivar were determined and seeds were sown at three different on-row seed spacings (2.5, 5 and 7.5 cm). Sowing was performed on ridges in three narrow rows as to have 7.5 cm between the rows and at a forward speed of 0.64 m s-1. Average length values of the classified bare and coated black carrot seeds were respectively determined as 3.52 and 4.02 mm, geometric mean diameter values as 1.65 and 2.31 mm, sphericity values as 47.49 and 58.73%, thousand-seed weights as 2.20 and 6.67 g, germination rate values as 82.50 and 76.30%. Fracture resistance value of the coated seeds was measured as 4.89 Nmm-2, water dissolution time as 18.48 s and one-seed ratio in coating as 96%. In field trials conducted at different sowing distances, average germination time of classified bare seeds and coated seeds were repectively determined as 9.40 and 9.18 days, germination rate index values as 1.688 and 1.547 [plant (m day)-1] and the field emergence rate values as 54.15 and 52.39%.