Possibilities for improving the seed quality by application of temperature treatment before sowing

Abstract

In addition to normal seeds, hard seeds of alfalfa have often been found after harvest. Such seeds prevent the penetration of water and gases into the seed interior, causing the reduction in germination. They do not tend to germinate even under ideal laboratory or field conditions, or they exhibit late germination. Consequently, they are of no relevance to planting crops. A decrease in the amount of hard seeds and an increase in germination can be achieved by scarification of acids, physical damage to the seed coat, hot water, cooling, etc. Temperature treatment scarification prior to sowing is a simple and inexpensive solution, safe for humans and the environment. The tests were carried out on three alfalfa cultivars: ‘Medijana’, ‘Banat’ and ‘Zaječarska 83’. Their seeds were exposed to temperatures of 70 oC (for 10, 30, 60 and 90 minutes), 80 oC (for 10, 30, 60 and 90 minutes) and 90 oC (for 10, 30, 60 and 90 minutes). After the treatment under laboratory conditions, the germination rate and the share of hard/dormant seeds were investigated. The results obtained indicate that the increase in germination can be significant (p ≥ 0.05) provided temperature seed treatments are applied. Furthermore, the optimal temperature treatment was found to be essentially dependent on the specific alfalfa cultivar.