Premium
Effect of Seed Moisture on Temperature Sensitivity During Imbibition of Soybean 1
Author(s) -
Obendorf R. L.,
Hobbs P. R.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1970.0011183x001000050034x
Subject(s) - imbibition , seedling , moisture , seeding , dry matter , agronomy , biology , water content , horticulture , germination , dry weight , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
Seeds of 12 soybean { Glycine max (L.) Merr.} varieties were equilibrated to 6% or 16% moisture before imbibition at cold (5 C) temperature, warm (25 C) temperature, or warm followed by exposure to cold. After imbibition, seeds were transferred to prewetted autoclaved soil mix in a greenhouse for 2 weeks. The number of seedlings surviving, height to apical bud, and dry weight of aerial parts without cotyledons were determined. Imbibition of low moisture seeds at 5 C caused reduction in survival, dry matter accumulation, and height of seedlings, but no reduction was observed with high moisture seeds. When low moisture seeds were imbibed at warm temperature before exposure to cold, no reduction was noted. The effect of initial seed moisture on sensitivity to chilling during imbibition was reversible. while some varieties were tolerant to cold imbibition of low moisture seeds, other varieties had up to 75% reduction in survival, 38% reduction in dry matter accumulation per seedling, and 50% reduction in plant height when compared to warm imbibition. Imbibition treatments which resulted in greatest seedling injury also decreased the capacity of seedlings to utilize cotyledonary reserves. Our results suggest that adjusting seed moisture to 16% before seeding could improve seedling establishment of soybean in cold soil.