Effects of seed maturity, seed storage and pre-germination treatments on seed germination of cleome (Cleome gynandra L.)

摘要

The influence of seed maturity, seed storage and germination pre-treatments on seed germination of cleome (Cleome gynandra L) were investigated. Seed maturation studies showed that capsules harvested at 18 days after anthesis possessed the highest dry weight with 19.2% moisture and 1% germination. Development of fresh-ungerminated seed was observed with increasing maturity of fruit, suggesting that cleome exhibited forms of seed dormancy. Storing mature seed at 15 degrees C and at room temperature for 5 months showed that seed dormancy was broken after 3 months under both storage regimes. When mature seeds were subjected to different treatments including various levels of GA(3), KNO3, leaching, pre-chilling, soaking and pre-heating at different temperatures, it was found that pre-heating at 40 degrees C for period of 1-5 days was the most effective method in breaking dormancy in cleome. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.