THE EFFECT OF FERTILIZERS AND OSMOTIC PRESSURE ON GERMINATION

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Abstract
Results of germination studies with canning corn, field beans, and sugar beets at three soil moisture levels and under five fertilizer treatments, along with the results of germination of sugar beets at iso-osmotic concentrations of mannitol and ammonium nitrate solutions, are reported.The moisture levels alone had no significant effect on the germination of any of the crops. Moisture levels in combination with nitrogen fertilizers reduced germination, and the reduction became progressively pronounced with decreasing moisture. Nitrogen caused a greater reduction than mannitol or P2O5. With only one-quarter of the available moisture in the soil, the nitrogen treatments resulted in virtually no germination of any of the three crops. There were significant differences in response pattern among species, with canning corn being the least sensitive and field beans showing the greatest reduction due to fertilizer damage. Results indicate that no fertilizer should be placed in contact with bean seeds. The highly soluble fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, should not be placed in contact with corn or beet seeds when soil moisture is limiting.Germination of sugar beets was significantly lowered in solutions having osmotic pressures exceeding 4 atmospheres. With increasing osmotic pressure at iso-osmotic concentrations, germination of sugar beets was lower in ammonium nitrate solutions than in mannitol solutions, suggesting toxicity of the nitrate or ammonium ions.