Mean Daily Germination Research Articles

Influence of Gibberellic Acid Growth Regulator on Sunflower Seed Emergence Indices and Seedling Characters under Salinity Stress

Salinity stress is one of factors limiting seed germination and seedling development in sunflower at New halfa scheme in East of Sudan. The objective of this study was evaluation germination indices and seedling parameters of sunflower seed under salinity stress with varying concentrations of synthetic growth regulator namely GA3. From 16-30 November 2019 a laboratory experiment (in Petri dishes) of randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with three replicates was carried out. Treatments were consisted of (four levels of GA3 were 0, 50,75 and 100 p.pm) designated as G0,G50,G75 and G100,respectively, under five levels of salinity (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2%) designated as Na0, Na1.0 ,Na1.5 and Na2.0. This study examined Emergence indices: Seed Emergence percentage EP%, Mean emergence time (MET), Mean daily germination (MDG), Energy of germination was( EE), Emergence index(EI), Daily germination speed (DGS), Emergence coefficient of uniformity (ECU), vigour index of seed(VIS) and seedling characters also were determined. The results indicated that application of GA3 at 50 p.pm resulted in high EP, MDG, MET and SVI as compared with other related treatments. Also application of (G75 and G100) resulted in higher values of DGS, ECU and EI. Application of high levels of salinity treatments resulted in decreasing of all germination indices in this study. The interaction treatment ( G50xNa0) on MDG had significant differences in this study. In condition, GA3 increasing up germination indices and promoting growth and compromised seedling vigor while salinity hindered seed emergence and seedling characters of sunflower.

Breaking seed dormancy in Searsia pentaphylla (Anacardiaceae)

Seeds (true seed plus endocarp) of Searsia pentaphylla, a species with significant medicinal, ecological and horticultural importance, have an extremely hard and water impermeable endocarp. Hence, effective dormancy-breaking techniques are crucial for enhancing its cultivation and ensuring successful establishment in both natural and managed environments. This study evaluated the effects of mechanical scarification, chemical scarification (sulphuric acid soaking for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes, hydrogen peroxide soaking for 10 minutes), hot water soaking for 10 minutes, and heat treatment for three minutes at 200°C on final germination percentage (FGP), mean germination time (MGT), time to 50% germination (T50), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) and mean daily germination (MDG). Compared to the control group (untreated seeds), the most effective treatment was 120 minutes of sulphuric acid soaking, achieving a FGP of 92%, a MGT of 7.28 days, a CVG of 13.7%, a T50 of 6.67 days and a MDG of 6.57%. Mechanical scarification yielded a FGP of 36.5%, with poorer MGT, CVG, T50 and MDG values. Other methods, including hydrogen peroxide and heat, were less effective. These results highlight the importance of aggressive scarification techniques to enhance germination in S. pentaphylla.

Mechanical Scarification: The Key to Optimal Germination Parameters in Nine Flowering Species Of The United Arab Emirates.

Seed germination is the most essential stage of the plant life. Prior to germination, seed dormancy provides protection to the seed against germinating under unfavorable conditions. The seeds of many plants in arid regions are particularly characterized by having a hard seed coat. Seed dormancy is essential to the survival of plants, however in some incidents such as reforestation on desert areas, it is important for ecologists to investigate methods of breaking the dormancy of seeds in order to maximize the production of plants. In this study, we tested four methods of seed pre-treatment (Mechanical scarification (MChip), chemical scarification with sulfuric acid at two exposure durations (SAcid15, SAcid30), and soaking in water for 24h (Soak)) on 9 flowering plants (Senna italica, Sorghum sudanese, Tephrosia nubica, Senna angustifolia, Acacia tortilles, Senna occidentalis, Abutilon pannosum, Prosopis cineraria, Crotalaria persica) of the UAE. Six germination parameters (Final germination percentage (G) %, Mean germination time (MGT) day, Mean germination rate (MGR) day, Coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) %, Mean Daily Germination Percentage (MDG) %, and Germination index (GI) day) were calculated to assess the germination. Final Germination Percentage (G) significantly improved (P

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.

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.

Biosolubilized zinc from ZnO in bacterial culture supernatant enhanced seed germination, early growth, and zinc accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under hydroponic system through seed priming method

Presently, zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) based fertilizers are reported inefficient in flooded paddy fields which necessitates to find a better alternative for sustainable rice cultivation. This study was conducted to find out the effectiveness of bacterially solubilized Zn (BSZn) on the early growth of rice plants and the concentration of Zn in the plant parts in comparison to conventional ZnSO4. BSZn preparations were obtained from culture supernatant following ZnO solubilization by bacterial isolates Burkholderia spp. and Achromobacter sp. The effectiveness of BSZn was assessed on rice seed germination on Petri plates and the growth of seedlings upon treatment in hydroponic culture under controlled conditions. In general, BSZn obtained from certain Burkholderia spp. increased seed germination percentage (SG%) (98–100%), mean germination rate (MGR), mean daily germination (MDG), decreased mean germination time (MGT) and impart stimulating effect on seed germination as indicated by increased vigor indices compared to ZnSO4 treatment regimes. The obtained data from the hydroponic culture of rice seedling growth indicated a positive influence of most of the BSZn preparation on dry and wet weight of roots and shoots, and seedling length compared to ZnSO4 at p < 0.05. Both chlorophyll and carotenoid content of the seedling increased in the presence of some BSZn preparations. In general, compared to shoot, the root of seedlings accumulated a higher amount of Zn (up to 888 µg Zn/g dry biomass). Zn concentration data indicated that BSZn16 obtained from Burkholderia sp. EIKU16 culture help to accumulate significantly higher amounts of Zn in rice seedlings under hydroponic culture than that while treated with ZnSO4.

The Role of Skill in Successful Germination of Melia Volkensii Seeds

Melia volkensii (Melia), locally known as Mukau in Kenya, is an important indigenous dryland forestry species. The species is propagated primarily through seeds, with germination percentage ranging from 40- 90%. Successful germination of seeds of forestry species requires skillful application of appropriate pre-sowing treatments. Studies that document and quantify the effect of skill/experience on the germination outcomes for tree seeds are rare. This study sought to fill this gap by documenting the results from a capacity building exercise on testing M. volkensii seeds. Seeds were collected from the KEFRI Kibwezi seed orchard, pretreated and sown by seven participants with different skill levels based on years of experience. The seeds were sown in glasshouse and nursery conditions. There were significant differences (p &lt; 0.001) in germination capacity, mean germination time, T 50, mean germination rate, mean daily germination (MDG) and peak value (PV) depending on the skill level of the participants. The results also varied between germination environment (p &lt; 0.001) for all germination traits except MGD and T50. The highest germination outcomes were recorded for participants with the longest experience in testing of M. volkensii seed germination. These findings therefore signify the importance of skill/experience in germination of M. volkensiiseeds, an outcome that may have implications for other forestry seeds with special pre-sowing requirements.

Impact of Hydrochloric acid on breaking seed dormancy and germination enhancement in native Alhagi graecorum Boiss ( Al-Agool ).

Despite the great importance of legumes plants, most of them have a hard and impermeable testa, which causes physical dormancy of the seeds and prevents germination even when environmental conditions are favorable. This is considered one of the major problems in successful seed germination. Alhagi graecorum plant is a wild native legume. It has a hard and impermeable testa, which causes physical dormancy of seeds, and to overcome hard coat imposed dormancy, softening the hard seed coat by soaking Hydrochloric acid ( HCl ). The present study was conducted to evaluate various duration of soaking seeds in HCL to breaking physical dormancy for A.graecorum in 10, 20, and 30 minutes. The results showed that, final germination percentage (FGP) in treated seeds significantly increased when compared with the control were 55, 62 and 68 % respectively, while in control was only 12 %. Seed germination influenced by HCL is due to its capability to break the hard seed coat that leads to water absorption and imbibition of seeds. As for the mean daily germination ( MDG ), the results revealed that, there were significance increased in seventh day of sowing in germination between the treated seeds in duration of soaking 20 and 30 min were 23 and 24 % respectively, as they were most effective in germination, while the germination in the control stopped in the fifth day of sowing at 12 %. While the mean germination time (MGT), the results indicated that the seeds soaked in acid recorded 9.66, 9.13, and 8.62 days, respectively. The minimum MGT for treated seeds was detected in 30 min., 8.62 days. The reason for the long period of the mean germination time may be due to the use of a low concentration of hydrochloric acid, so I recommend using higher concentrations of acid to obtain a lower mean germination time.

Differences in the Physiological Indicators of Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) Cultivars Subjected to Salinity Stress

To investigate the effects of salinity stress on durum wheat cultivars at the critical stages of germination and seedling establishment under salinity stress, a study was conducted on eight durum wheat cultivars (Karim, Khiar, Inrat100, Maali, Monastir, Portodur, Razeg, and Salim) subjected to an increasing salinity concentration by using sodium chloride (NaC) (0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 g L−1). Germination and seedling physiological parameters were measured and thoroughly analyzed. Salinity stress significantly decreased germination capacity (GC), germination rate (GR), final germination capacity (FGC), germination index (GI), mean daily germination (MDG), and velocity coefficient (Vc), whereas mean germination time (MGT) and the stress index (SI) increased. Plantlet growth and initial vigor (IV) were also significantly hampered. Regarding all these traits, the cultivars’ differences were revealed: Karim and Salim were the least affected, whereas Razeg and Maali were the most affected, and the other cultivars occupied an intermediate position. Depending on cultivar, salinity stress decreased the germination capacity and delayed its initiation. At low salinity stress (2–4 g L−1 NaCl), the osmotic effect (OE) was the main cause of germination inhibition, whereas at high salinity stress (6–10 g L−1 NaCl), the toxic effect (TE) dominated and irreversibly inhibited the germination process. The initial vigor and the stress index that clearly discriminate among the studied cultivars are useful traits for screening tolerant genotypes. Otherwise, durum wheat showed a higher plasticity with salinity at the germination stage, allowing it to develop better tolerance at this stage, as compared to early stage plantlet growth.

Methods of breaking seed physical dormancy and germination in native species of Alhagi graecorum Boiss (Al-Agool )

Alhagi graecorum is a plant belonging to the Fabaceae family and grows as wild perennial shrubby species. Seeds of this species possess seed physical dormancy and need to be removed to enhance germination, breaking of dormancy treatments were imposed on seeds to improve germination. Treatments include scarification with sulfuric acid ( H2SO4 ) for 10, 20, 30 and40 minutes. The results showed highly significant difference between control and all the treatments of germination percentage ( GP ) was 96%, 96%, 97% and 97%, respectively, while recorded in control only 12%. As for the mean daily germination ( MDG ), the results revealed that, there was a significant differences between all treated seeds and control, which was the fastest and most effective seeds germination on the third day of sowing were 84, 89, 90, 92 % respectively, while in control was 0 %. Mean germination time (MGT) decreased in all treated seed but statistically same while significantly different from the control. The minimum time was recorded for 20 and 30 minutes was 3.14 and 3.14 days respectively. We conclude from the results obtained that, the use of concentrated sulfuric acid 98% achieved the highest GP and MDG and the lowest MGT. This is the efficient method of breaking seeds dormancy and germination for native species of Alhagi graecorum.

Effects of pre-sowing treatments and seed sources on seed germination of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.

Seed pre-treatments improve germination under diverse environmental conditions. The present study assessed the effects of pre-sowing treatments and various seed sources on seed germination of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.- an important medicinal plant species growing in Kashmir Himalaya. Seeds were collected from five different sites of the Kashmir Himalaya, India, and were treated with 10 different pre-sowing treatments including control, gibberellic acid (GA3; 100 ppm), indole acetic acid (IAA; 50 ppm), indole butyric acid (IBA; 50 ppm), kinetin (150 ppm), potassium nitrate (KNO3; 150 ppm), thiourea (150 ppm), gibberellic acid plus scarification (GA3; 100 ppm+SC), mechanical scarification and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) treatment for 20 min. The highest seed germination (83.6%) along with the maximum seedling vigor index (SVI) of (7.92) was found in seeds treated with 150 ppm thiourea followed by scarified seeds treated with 100 ppm gibberellic acid (66.00%) and KNO3 (61.2%). The maximum germination index (GI) (0.70), mean daily germination (MDG) (6.69% seeds per day), and mean germination time (MGT) (6.58 days) were recorded for seeds treated with GA3 (100 ppm) plus scarification. Among the five seed sources, no significant differences were observed in the seed germination. However, pre-treatments, as well as the interaction effect of seed source variation and pre-treatments showed significant differences in the measured germination parameters (i.e., germination starting dates, closing dates, germination period, germination percentages, GI, and MGT). The treatment with thiourea (150 ppm), KNO3 (150 ppm), and a combination of scarification and 100 ppm GA3 are the most effective ways of enhancing the seed germination of P. acinosa. Present study will have significant implications for successful germination, large-scale cultivation, sustainable utilization, and conservation of P. acinosa by reducing its exploitation from natural wild populations.

Effect of pre-sowing treatment on the germination and early growth of Kalappia celebica Kosterm.: an endemic and vulnerable tree species of Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Tuheteru FD, Husna, Albasri, Arif A, Basrudin, Nurdin WR, Arman E, Agustin DI, Saribadu J, Rahmat, Dermawansyah A, Daliana, Lody LP, Deri AS, Safitri I, Sudrajat DJ. 2022. Effect of pre-sowing treatment on the germination and early growth of Kalappia celebica Kosterm.: an endemic and vulnerable tree species of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 4297-4302. Kalapi (Kalappia celebica) is an endemic tree species of Sulawesi and is threatened with extinction, so it requires conservation efforts to preserve the tree species. The research aims to determine the effects of seed pre-sowing methods on the germination of K. celebica. Matured seeds of kalapi were collected from several mother trees at the Lalona Village, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The seeds were treated with six pre-germinations treatments (control, nicking, nicking and soaking in cool water (20°C) for 12 h, nicking and soaking in cool water for 24 h, soaked in hot water (80°C) for 24 h till the water-cooled and soaked in cool water for 48 h. Three replication and each replication using 25 seed were used in this research, so the total seed were 450 seeds. The randomized completely design was used to test the effect of pre-germination treatments on seed germination parameters at the greenhouse. The germination parameters calculated were the first day of germination, last day of germination, germination period, germination capacity, mean germination time (MGT), and mean daily germination (MDG). The results showed that pre-germination treatment affected all seed germination parameters, which significantly increased the germination capacity. The germination capacity with the nicking was 94,67%, nicking and soaking in cool water (20°C) for 12 h (94,67%) followed by nicking and soaking in cool water (20° C) for 24 h (90,67%). In all treatments, germination started 5 to 10 days after sowing and was completed from 4 to 16 days later. The seed treatment by nicking and soaking in cool water for 12 d exhibited the lowest MGT (5.56 days), the highest MDG (0.95 germinate day-1), the highest seedling collar diameter (1.64 mm), and the highest leaf number (1.95). Therefore, the study recommends nicking followed by soaking in cool water for 12 h as an ideal pre-germination treatment to promote germination and seedling growth of kalapi tree species for supported conservation activity.

Argemone ochroleuca extract suppression of germination and early growth of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Argemone ochroleuca Sweet, allelochemicals are reported to potentially suppress crop growth even though empirical evidence of this interaction is scant. This study was conducted during 2020 at the University of Mpumalanga_ to determine the effects of A. ochroleuca residues on common beans germination and early-growth under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, respectively. Germination test, common bean seeds were exposed to eleven A. orchrolueca shoot and root extract concentration of 0 to 100 g/L, while eight powder levels of 0 to 14 g were used to test effects of the same plant parts on early-growth. Germination percentages (GP), mean germination time (MGT), germination speed (GS), mean daily germination (MDG), plumule and radicle length were computed over 7-day period. As extract concentrations increased, GP, MGT, GS, MDG, plumule and radicle lengths decreased by 30–54, 41–55, 37–55, 35–46, 41–82 and 46–79%, respectively. Thirty-days after the first emergence, A. ochroleuca concentrations decreased plant height, stem diameter and dry shoot mass by 71, 75 and 75%, respectively. Shoot extracts were more suppressive to germination and early-growth of beans than root extracts. In conclusion, A. ochroleuca extracts had concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on germination and growth variables of A. ochroleuca, shoot extracts exhibiting higher allelopathic effects compared to root extracts.

Seed germination with titanium dioxide nanoparticles enhances water supply, reserve mobilization, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities in pea.

The nanoparticle has been reported to have severe effects and metabolic disorders in crops. Analysis of poisoning exposure to titanium dioxide is very important during the seed germination stage. Measuring the levels of water supply, reserve mobilization and redox metabolism with germination success is a prerequisite for understanding the TiO2 stress mechanism. These measurements are carried out using different methods, including germination tests, determination of growth parameters, analysis of reserve mobilization processes and redox activities under different stress conditions. The significant effects (P < 0.05) of TiO2 on seed germination were determined by analysis of variance (2 ways-ANOVA). We considered the effect of TiO2 dose (0 and 50 mg/L) and time of exposure (1,2,3,4 and 5 days). The results showed that TiO2 treatment significantly affected the germination rate (GR), the mean daily germination (MDG), the tissues dry weights, water supply, solute leakage, and induced oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities. Oxidative and metabolic disturbances are among the major causes of the successful germination of pea seeds.

Effect of chilling acclimation on germination and seedlings response to cold in different seed coat colored wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

BackgroundFlavonoids can protect plants against extreme temperatures and ROS due to their antioxidant activities. We found that deep-purple seed coat color was controlled by two gene interaction (12:3:1) from the cross between yellow and deep-purple seed coat colored inbreds. F2:3 seeds were grouped in 3 by seed coat color and germinated under chilling (4 °C) and non-acclimated conditions (18 °C) for a week, followed by normal conditions (18 °C) for three weeks and a subsequent chilling stress (4 °C) induction. We analyzed mean daily germination in each group. Additionally, to study the acclimation in relationship to the different seed coat colors on the germination ability and seedling performances under the cold temperatures, we measured the chlorophyll content, ROS scavenging activity, and expression levels of genes involved in ROS scavenging, flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, and cold response in seedlings.ResultsThe results of seed color segregation between yellow and deep purple suggested a two-gene model. In the germination study, normal environmental conditions induced the germination of yellow-seed, while under chilling conditions, the germination ratio of deep purple-seed was higher than that of yellow-colored seeds. We also found that the darker seed coat colors were highly responsive to cold acclimation based on the ROS scavenging enzymes activity and gene expression of ROS scavenging enzymes, flavonoid biosynthetic pathway and cold responsive genes.ConclusionsWe suggest that deep purple colored seed might be in a state of innate pre-acquired stress response state under normal conditions to counteract stresses in a more effective way. Whereas, after the acclimation, another stress should enhance the cold genes expression response, which might result in a more efficient chilling stress response in deep purple seed seedlings.Low temperature has a large impact on the yield of crops. Thus, understanding the benefit of seed coat color response to chilling stress and the identification of limiting factors are useful for developing breeding strategies in order to improve the yield of wheat under chilling stress.

Impact of Salinity Stress on Germination and Growth of Pea (Pisum sativum L) Plants

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of salinity stress on germination and growth of pea (Pisum sativum L) plants. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity stress on germination and growth of pea Pisum sativum L plant. Seeds of pea were sown in Petri dishes and pots and treated with four different levels of salinity (0, 50, 100, and 150mM NaCl) with completely randomized designs in four replications. Results revealed that seeds of pea were able to germinate at low salinity levels (NaCl 50mM NaCl) without a significant decrease in germination and growth traits, at the same time as a severe decrease in those traits were recorded at higher levels of salinity (100 and 150mM NaCl). The results indicated that seed germination and seedling establishment were inhibited due to the decrease of water potential, which results in the decline in water uptake by seeds, and seed germination was prevented by a high level of salinity stress (150mM NaCl). The results pointed out that germination percentage (GP), mean daily germination (MDG), germination speed (GS), and vigor index (SVI) varied under moderate and high salinity levels. All the studied parameters were reduced with increasing the NaCl level. The max and min GP, MDG, GS, and SVI were observed under control conditions (0mM NaCl) and highest salinity level (150mM NaCl) respectively. The same trend was seen in plant growth traits including: plant height, branch number, leaf number, leaf area, and shoot fresh and dry weight. The results provided important reference information for research on the impact of salinity on germination and growth of pea.

Effects of Seed Weights and Sowing Media on Germination and Early Growth of Afzelia africana Smith ex Pers

Seed weight is essential in assessing seed quality traits, while sowing medium has significant role in seed germination. This study therefore assessed effect of seed weights and sowing media on germination of Afzelia africana seeds to enhancing sustainable production of the species.&#x0D; Seeds of different sizes were collected, weighed and grouped into small (120), medium (120) and large (120) seeds. Each seed group was sown in three sowing media (washed river sand, decomposed sawdust, and forest top soil) replicated 4 times and arranged in Completely Randomized Design. The growth assessment comprised of 3 treatments which included seedlings from small, medium and large seeds and replicated 4 times. Plant height, leaf production and stem diameter were assessed fortnightly for twelve weeks. Biomass assessment was carried out twice (second week and twelfth week). Mean Daily Germination, Germination Percentage, Germination Energy, Peak Value, Germination value, Net Assimilation Rate and Relative Growth Rate were estimated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA).&#x0D; Mean Daily Germination showed that large seeds sown in river sand large seed size sown in saw dust (T4 and T7) had highest value of 3.47 and 3.29 respectively with GV of 12.83.&#x0D; There was significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) in the effects of different sowing media and seed weights on the germination of A. africana. Saw dust gave the highest mean value with 52.777±0.28 while mean value of large sized seeds was highest (57.539±0.6). There was significant difference (p&lt;0.05) in the effects of different seed weight on the height, collar diameter and leaf production.&#x0D; Germination percentage of A. africana improved significantly with the sowing media and seed weight especially sawdust, river sand, and large seed size. It therefore suggested that A. africana seedling should be raised at nursery stage with river sand and Large seed size in order to increase the growth of plant and have more vigorous seedlings for plantation establishment.

Comparison Study on the Effect of Nano and Bulk Titanium Dioxide Particles on Seeds Germination, Growth and Chemical Composition of Wheat Invitro and Invivo

The present study aimed to examine the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) compared with bulk particles (BPs) on seed germination and growth of latefyha's cultivar wheat in vitro and in vivo and on chemical compositions with detecting the residuum of NPs in the plant. In the in vitro study, most concentrations of NPs and BPs have no effect on germination percentage, mean germination time, mean daily germination, promoter indicator, number of leaves, length and number of root and root tips viability but they reduced germination rate and germination value besides they induced shoot length and biomass. In the in vivo study, some parameters induced by most concentrations of NPs such as plant leaves area, leaf area index, length, of viability roots, height and total of plant length and biomass while no effect was seen on: mean daily germination, vigor index I and vigor index II, chlorophyll B, leaf area relative, in this regard, it reduced germination percentage, chlorophyll A, and carotene. There were some differences between the effect of NPs and those of BPs. There were increased in the total number of chemical compounds that identified in leaves of wheat plants treated with nanoparticles compared with control while the total numbers of compounds were decreased using bulk particles.

Phytotoxicity of Chitosan and SiO2 Nanoparticles to Seed Germination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Plants

Plants such as wheat and barley that are strategically important crops need to be considered to develop a comprehensive toxicity profile for nanoparticles (NPs). The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of chitosan and SiO2 NPs on wheat and barley plants. Two factorial experiments (seeds priming and direct exposure) were performed based on a completely randomized design in four replications. Results showed that the seeds priming with the NPs had not significant effect on germination parameters such as Germination Percentage (GP), Germination Rate (GR), Germination Value (GV), Mean Germination Time (MGT), Pick Value (PV) and Mean Daily Germination (MDG). In contrast, exposure of the seeds to the NPs had significant effects on these parameters. In both experiments, treatments had significant effects on shoot, seedling, root length, fresh and dry weight, as well as vigor indexes as compared to the control. In most traits, the best concentration of NPs was 30 ppm, whereas applications of the NPs with 90 ppm displayed adverse effects on majority of the studied traits. According to these results, selectivity in applications of NPs with suitable concentration and method is essential for different plant species.

Pre-germinated seed treatment with soaking, heating, chilling and its integration for rice seed invigoration

A study of pre-germinated seed treatments with soaking, heating, chilling and its integration was conducted on two rice cultivar (viz. Prasad and Pant Sugandha Dhan-15) to explore the possibility of improvement in seed germination and seedling vigour under laboratory condition. The experiment comprised of six treatments and seeds were subjected with soaking, heating (40 °C), chilling (−20 °C), heating followed by chilling and chilling followed by heating after soaking for 24 h along with untreated control. Seed germination and subsequent seedling growth was greatly influenced by soaking, heating and chilling as indicated by statistically higher value of seed germination at first as well as final count and seedling vigour i.e. root, shoot and seedling length, fresh and dry weight of seedling, vigour index, relative growth index (RGI), germination index (GI) and mean daily germination (MDG). Soaking successfully integrated with heating followed by chilling and chilling followed by heating over untreated control for both the rice cultivars while, chilling solely had somewhat lower influence on rice seed invigoration.