Pak. J. Bot., 36(2): 311-320, 2004. | Back to Contents | ||||
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Updated: 09-07-09 | ||||
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SOME SEED TRAITS, LABORATORY GERMINATION AND FIELD EMERGENCE IN COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP.) GENOTYPES AYŞUN PEKSEN*, ERKUT PEKŞEN AND HATİCE BOZOĞLU
Abstract:
A study was carried out to investigate the relationships
among percentage water absorption during imbibition, leaching of electrolytes
from seeds into steep water, germination and field emergence of 21 cowpea (Vigna
unguiculata (L.) Walp.) genotypes differing in testa colour. Water absorption
rate of cowpea seeds during imbibition and electrical conductivity (EC) of steep
water were determined at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours. Significant differences
were found between white and coloured cowpea seeds in terms of water absorption
rate depending on imbibition time. Amount of water absorbed by seeds exceeded
initial seed weight at 3 hours in white seeded and 18 hours in coloured seeded
genotypes. EC of steep water showed similar trend to water uptake of seeds in
both white and coloured seeded genotypes. Water uptake significantly influenced
germination and field emergence in white seeded genotypes. The effect of water
absorption rate on germination and field emergence at the end of the soaking period
was not significant in coloured seeded genotypes. Negative and significant correlation
was found between electrical conductivity and field emergence in white seeded
genotypes but this relationship was not significant in coloured genotypes. The
present study showed that EC is an important test to predict field emergence potential
of white seeded cowpea genotypes under field conditions.
Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University,
55139 Samsun, Turkey. |
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