Effectiveness of Pericarp Removal in Germination and Emergence of Spinach Seeds

Abstract

Germination and emergence tests were carried out to examine the effectiveness of pericarp removal in spinach seeds. The seeds were classified into five groups according to their weights, and the germination was investigated in different concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) or mannitol solution (-0.25, -0.49, -0.73 and -0.98 MPa) . For the emergence test, the seeds were sown at the depth of 1.5 cm in sand soil containers. The germination exceeded in pericarp-removed seeds. It declined and delayed with increased NaCl concentration. Emergence also declined with increased NaCl concentration. The removal of pericarp in spinach seeds was found to be effective for germination and emergence even in NaCl solutions.