PJB-2018-1077
Studies on germination ecology and seedlings characteristics of Cleome viscosa as affected by various environmental factors
Muhammad Mansoor Javaid, Zaigham Abbas, Hasnain Waheed, Athar Mahmood, Tasawer Abbas, Muhammad Mohsin Amin and Muhammad Asif
Abstract
Knowledge about weed seed germination is essential for its control. By knowing the weed response to various environmental factors are helpful for weed management without the use of herbicides. The aimed of present study was to know the impact of several environmental related factors on germination and seedlings characteristics of Cleome viscosa under laboratory conditions. The temperature suitable for germination of C. viscosa was 30°C where 81.25% seed germination occurred. However, no or little germination was observed at 15 and 20oC, respectively. The germination of C. viscosa improved significantly from 5-7 pH, thereafter a decline was observed at pH 8 and 9 and completely inhibited at pH 10. Seed germination was somewhat salinity tolerant and germination observed at 250 mM NaCl (23.75%) which is much high but it was vulnerable to osmotic potential which completely prevented at -1.0 MPa. Seedling emergence responds substantially to burial depth. The seedling emergence was highest (87.5%) when seed retained at the surface of the soil and reduced to 30% at 4 cm depth. The germination and seedlings traits i.e. time to start germination, mean germination time (MGT) and time taken to 50% germination (T50) germination index (GI) as well as root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight were affected significantly with all the studied environmental factors. The results obtained in this study will be useful to develop a comprehensive management program to control C. viscosa.
To Cite this article:
Javaid, M.M., Z. Abbas, H. Waheed, A. Mahmood, T. Abbas, M.M. Amin and M. Asif. 2020. Studies on germination ecology and seedlings characteristics of Cleome viscosa as affected by various environmental factors. Pak. J. Bot., 52(6): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2020-6(27)
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