EFFECTS OF SEED OSMOCONDITIONING ON EMERGENCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM MILL.)

In 1990, the effect of seed osmoconditioning on seedling emergence characteristics of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv.
Rio Fuego and ‘Sunny’ F₁) was studied.

Seeds were primed in aerated solutions of KNO₃+K₂HPO₄ at -1.0 MPa or polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) at -0.8 MPa in a dark room at 18±1 °C for 6 or 8 days.

Three sowings in a polyethylene tunnel were made: 19 January, 6 February, 6 March.

Osmoconditioning significantly decreased the mean time for emergence (MTE). On average of sowing dates and cultivars, MTE, which was 15.0 days for unprimed seeds, ranged between 10.1 days for seeds osmoprimed in KNO₃+K₂HPO₄ solution for 8 d and 12.3 days for seeds osmoprimed in PEG for 6 d.

Furthermore, when the emergence began in the control, 85–90% of ‘Rio Fuego’ seedling and 63–87% of ‘Sunny’ seedling had already emerged if the seeds had been primed for 8 d with KNO₃+K₂HPO₄.

International Symposium on Agrotechnics and Storage of Vegetable and Ornamental Seeds

V. Cavallaro, G. Mauromicale, G. Di Vincenzo

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.362.26