EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING ON THE EMERGENCE, GROWTH AND YIELD OF UC 82B TOMATOES IN THE FIELD

The potential advantages of seed priming in decreasing seedling emergence times and increasing crop uniformity have been evaluated in a series of experiments in a farmer’s field at Darlington Point, Australia.
Seeds of processing tomato variety UC 82B were primed in a solution of K₂HPP₄ and KNO³ (-1.25 MPa) for 12 days at 15°C then dried back before being sown with commercial seeder.
An early season and a mid season sowing were made in each of two growing seasons.
The emergence, growth, development and yield of each crop were measured by regular sampling throughout its ontogeny.

Seed priming resulted in a thirty-five percent decrease in the growing degree days above 10°C necessary for the emergence of tomato plants.
In practical terms, primed seedlings emerged four to five days earlier than unprimed in early season sowings and one to two days earlier in mid season sowings.
The earliness of the primed crops was maintained throughout the crops ontogeny to harvest resulting in earlier flowering, fruiting and ripening with no change in the final yield.

Seed priming may offer a convenient method of both shortening the time to establishment of early crops and providing greater flexibility in processing plant schedules.

II International Symposium on Processing Tomatoes, XXII IHC

E.W.R. Barlow, A.M. Haigh

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1987.200.14