This investigation tested the influence of thermal treatment of seeds at various stages of imbibition on the germination percentage, speed and growth response of seeds and seedlings. Seeds of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L Moench) were treated in 2, 4 or 6 g NaCl l−1 solutions and exposed for 2 h to 45 °C during the first, second or third days of imbibition. Thereafter, the seeds were dried and germinated at 42/19 °C (day/night temperature). Salt treatments did not improve the final germination percentage but increased germination speed over untreated seeds. The higher the salt concentration used, the greater the dry weights of plumules and radicles. Thermal treatment on the third day of imbibition yielded higher germination percentages than untreated seeds, while thermal treatment on the second day gave faster germination. Both the second and third day thermal treatments gave superior germination indices and higher plumule‐to‐radicle ratios. It is concluded that thermal treatment may assist in acclimating seeds to heat stress.
Imbibition is an essential part of the germination process and is affected by various environmental factors. The effects of temperature, seed treatment, storage and osmotic pressure on primed and untreated sorghum seed were examined. The potential influence of NaCl‐based seed‐soaking treatments was also investigated. Experiments on sorghum seeds showed that imbibition rates were higher in untreated than in primed seeds after more than 24 h of soaking and that a rise in priming temperature increased imbibition to a greater extent in the former. The influence of imbibition in regulating the seed response to priming, heat and osmotic stress is discussed.
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) seeds were examined to determine the influence of exposure to ascending and descending imbibition temperature regimes on plumule and radicle axes behaviour of seed after treatment. Treatments included soaking in distilled water, 4.5 % NaCl or 4.5 % KCl for 3 days at three ascending or descending temperatures ranging from 11 to 21°C. Root growth was enhanced by descending temperatures (21, 16 and 11°C) over the 3-day period, whereas ascending temperatures (11, 16 and 21°C) increased growth differences between shoots and roots. Shoot-root growth was affected by imbibition temperature to a greater extent than germination. However, seed soaking treatments in NaCl or KCl did not improve root or shoot growth, but did improve germination rates.
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