Premium
Induction of Germination of Impermeable Cottonseed by Electrical Treatment
Author(s) -
Stone R. B.,
Christiansen M. N.,
Nelson S. O.,
Webb J. C.,
Goodenough J. L.,
Stetson L. E.
Publication year - 1973
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/cropsci1973.0011183x001300020003x
Subject(s) - germination , cottonseed , glow discharge , biology , materials science , horticulture , electric field , gossypium , electrode , agronomy , botany , chemistry , plasma , physics , quantum mechanics
Electric glow‐discharge and radiofrequency (RF) electricfield treatments were studied for inducing germination of impermeable cottonseed in selection 16‐B‐7 of Gossypium hirsutum L. Seed was exposed for 3 min in an evacuated glass tube chamber to the glow discharge established by application of 60‐Hz and 15‐ and 17.5‐kHz voltages to electrodes in the tube. Germination of impermeable cottonseed was increased from less than 10% to levels in the 60 to 90% range. Significant increases in germination were also achieved by exposure of seed to 40‐MHz electric fields of intensities ranging from 1.3 to 3.1 kilovolts/cm, but germination was not generally increased as much as by glow‐discharge treatments. RF treatments increased field emergence of a sawginned seed lot from 50 to 76%, but glow‐discharge treatments gave no significant increase for this seed lot. Glow‐discharge treatments offer a possible method for overcoming impermeability, but variation in cultivar response and seed storage conditions in relation to treatment needs further evaluation.