Differential water uptake kinetics in axes and cotyledons during seed germination of Vigna radiata under chilling temperature and cycloheximide treatment

Abstract

Water uptake kinetics of axes and cotyledons of Vigna radiata seeds has been studied during incubation at chilling temperature (4°C) and under cycloheximide treatment. Germination rate of scarified seeds was faster than intact seeds, and this happens in correlation with their comparative water uptake kinetics. Chilling temperature during incubation significantly slowed down water uptake by both intact and scarified seeds. Treatment with cycloheximide was also somewhat effective in retarding water uptake, but only in scarified seeds. Water uptake by axes isolated from intact seeds (attached or detached from the cotyledons) was inhibited completely by chilling temperature as well as by cycloheximide treatment while these treatments were ineffective in preventing water uptake by cotyledons. In the case of scarified seeds, such treatments again inhibited water uptake by axes only, the effect being more prominent in attached ones. Preincubation of intact seeds with cycloheximide for 6 h also inhibited water uptake by isolated axes, but not by cotyledons, during subsequent incubation in water.

Superoxide and its metabolism during germination and axis growth ofVigna radiata(L.) Wilczek seeds

“…Moreover, being a leguminous seed usually having hard seed coat it imbibes very slowly for initial 4 h because of seed coat impermeability followed by rapid uptake. 26 Thus it appears that in case of V. radiata seeds, axes develop growth potential required for radicle emergence within few hours.…”

Effects of seed priming with growth regulator biolan on salt tolerance of Pisum sativum L.

“…Germinating seeds. The dynamics of seed germination was studied by the rate of imbibitional water uptake and elongation of embryonic axis [12]. For this matter 50 presoaked seeds were weighed and placed on the moist filter paper in each Petri dish (10 cm) at 0 and 2% sodium chloride concentrations in a dark thermostat at 20±1 °C.…”