Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:09:46.116Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Promotion and synchronization of cereal grain germination by osmotic pretreatment with polyethylene glycol

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

T. Akalehiywot  and
J. D. Bewley
T. Akalehiywot
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N IN4, Canada
J. D. Bewley
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N IN4, Canada
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The effects of osmotic pretreatments were tested on the germination responses of oat and wheat grains. Temperature and duration of the pretreatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG) at two osmotic potentials (OP) were the experimental variables. The rate and synchronization of germination at 5–25 °C were significantly improved in both species by osmotic pretreatments compared with untreated controls. Maximum promotive effects were obtained after pretreatment periods of 6 and 4 days at – 10 bars at 5 and 10 °C respectively, and after 3 days at – 20 bars at 25 °C. Rapid and synchronized germination of seeds may be of advantage by minimizing their exposure to environmental hazards at early stages following imbibition and by allowing more favorable competition with other fast-germinating and growing species.

Type
Short Notes
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 89 , Issue 2 , October 1977 , pp. 503 - 506
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Heydecker, W. (1974). Germination of an idea: the priming of seeds. Report of the University of Nottingham School of Agriculture for 1973/1974, pp. 50–67.Google Scholar
Heydecker, W., Higgins, J. & Turner, J. Y. (1975). Invigoration of seeds? Seed Science & Technology 3, 881–8.Google Scholar
McDonough, W. T. (1976). Water potentials of seeds of Bromus inermis and Medicago sativa imbibed on media of various osmotic potentials. Canadian Journal of Botany 54, 1997–1999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michel, B. E. & Kaufmann, M. R. (1973). The osmotic potential of polyethylene glycol 6000. Plant Physiology 51, 914–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parmar, M. T. & Moore, P. R. (1968). Carbowax 6000, mannitol and sodium chloride for stimulating drought conditions in germination studies of corn (Zea mays L.) of strong and weak vigor. Agronomy Journal 60, 192–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Redmann, E. R. (1974). Osmotic and specific ion effects on the germination of alfalfa. Canadian Journal of Botany 52, 803–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, M. J. (1971). Yield losses in wheat and barley. Scottish Agriculture 50, 72–5.Google Scholar
Salter, P. J. & Darby, R. J. (1976). Synchronization of germination of celery seeds. Annals of Applied Biology 84, 415–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar