The Effect of Temperature and Water Stresses on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Temperature and moisture are essential factors in germination and seedling growth. The purpose of this research was to assess the germination and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds under various abiotic stressors. It was conducted in the Agronomy Institute of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary. Six distinct temperature levels were used: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C. Stresses of drought and waterlogging were quantified using 25 water levels based on single-milliliter intervals and as a percentage based on thousand kernel weight (TKW). Seedling density was also tested. Temperature significantly influenced germination duration and seedling development. 20 °C was ideal with optimal range of 15 °C to less than 25 °C. Germination occurred at water amount of 75% of the TKW, and its ideal range was lower and narrower than the range for seedling development. Seed size provided an objective basis for defining germination water requirements. The current study established an optimal water supply range for wheat seedling growth of 525–825 percent of the TKW. Fifteen seeds within a 9 cm Petri dish may be preferred to denser populations.

The Effects of Temperature and Water on the Seed Germination and Seedling Development of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

“…Surpassing the optimal temperature results in quicker germination, but this is not the case throughout the development and growth period ( Figure 1 ). These findings corroborate previous research [ 39 , 40 ]. The radicle requires different cumulative temperatures throughout its growth stage.…”

“…In conclusion, given the effect of the seed size on the internal seed moisture requirements, the TKW water application method enables the determination of the minimum and optimal water requirements for germination and seedling establishment. The current findings are supported by previous research [ 39 , 40 ].…”

“…According to the TKW method ( Table 4 ), seeds can be germinated over a range of water levels, starting at the wilting moisture point (0.65 mL), demonstrating the TKW method’s accuracy in detecting and optimizing the water requirement for seed germination, as previous studies have reported [ 39 , 40 ]. Indeed, seeds require a hydric range within which they can either not germinate or germinate poorly or slowly [ 59 ].…”

“…The TKW of the oilseed rape was 6.68 g. Additional information on the calculation of the water quantity based on the TKW is available in two previous studies [ 39 , 40 ]. The Petri dishes were sealed with parafilm to prevent water evaporation and incubated at 20 °C for ten days in a growth chamber.…”

“…In this context, the objectives of this study were: (i) to assess the effect of temperature on rapeseed germination and seedling growth and determine the optimal temperature for germination; and (ii) to determine the amount of water required for seed germination using a volume of water in one-milliliter intervals and the thousand-kernel weight (TKW). This technique was recently used to optimize the amount of water required for seed germination in wheat and maize crops [ 39 , 40 ]. It was proved that the water requirements of the seeds differed depending on their size and weight.…”