INFLUENCE OF HEAT SHOCK ON GERMINATION, Na⁺ AND K⁺ LEAKAGE AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF IMBIBED CALLIGONUM SEEDS

 

J. REN* AND L. TAO

 

School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering & Institute of Environmental Ecology,

Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, P. R. China

^*Corresponding authors e-mail: renjun@mail.lzjtu.cn; Tel: +86 931 7603928

 

Abstract

 

Relationships between mineral leakage and germination characteristics of five Calligonum seed in teat shock treatments were analyzed. The results suggested that heat shock stress for imbibing seeds significantly inhabited the germination and K⁺ leakage, and induced more seed transform death. The greater EC induced decreasing of germination of five Calligonum species, and seeds with more leakage of K⁺ performed greater germinability. Increasing of EC and Na⁺ leakage induced more seed dead. Na⁺ leakage and EC of germination medium always increased with temperature. K⁺ in seeds inhabited germination, Na⁺ in seeds determined the vigor of Calligonum seeds. Na⁺/K⁺ and EC both could be considered to be used for indications of seed vigor of Calligonum seeds.

 

Key words:Calligonum; Germination; Electrical conductivity; Leakage; Imbibition.