Assessment of the germination capacity of soybeans depending on the pH of the substrate

Abstract

Germination od three non GMO soybean cultivars: Abelina, SG Anser and Merlin was examined in a laboratory study as affected by pH level: 5.0; 5.5; 6.0; 6.5 and 7.0. The soybean seeds came from a field experiment carried out in 2017–2018. Analysis of germination capacity was based on two-factor analysis of variance in a completely randomized setting. Among the tested cultivar Abelina had the highest germination capacity. An application of pH from 6.0 to 6.5 contributed the most germinated seeds: 90.0 and 92.0%, respectively. The highest number of abnormally germinating seeds was observed in cultivar SG Anser and when the pH of the soil was 5.0 to 5.5. The numer of non-germinating seeds was higher in 2018 than 2017 and only in the cultivar Abelina did not differ significantly between years.