TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON GERMINATION OF 'GRASSLANDS MAKU' LOTUS AND OTHER EXPERIMENTAL LOTUS SELECTIONS
- 1 January 1989
- journal article
- Published by New Zealand Grassland Association in Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association
Abstract
The germination rate of 'Grasslands Maku' lotus (Lotus pedunculatus Cav. syn L uliginosus) was assessed at constant temperatures of 20°C, 15°C, 10°C and a fluctuating temperature of 5/10°C (16 h/8 h per day). Germmation rate declined with temperature. Maximum germmation level was reached by 2 weeks at 20°C and 15°C. but at 10°C only 30% of seeds, and at 5/1O"C only 1% had germinated by this stage. Large seeds of Maku germinated faster than small seeds. Seedlot thousand seed weights of Maku lotus parent plants varied from 0.78 to 0.96 g and germmation rates of these lots at 5/10°C were associated wth seed size. Maku and 4 other lotus selections had much lower germination rates than two Lotus corniculatus cultivars and an interspecific hybrid selection G.4712. G.4702 (another tetraploid) germinated more rapidly than other lotus selections and Maku. These results indicate the need for production of quality Maku lotus seed, especially in terms of seed size, and for selection to improve germination rate. Keywords: Maku lotus, germination, temperatureKeywords
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