2021 Volume 90 Issue 1 Pages 10-17
Priming is attracting attention as a method for promoting seed germination and emergence under stress conditions of drought and low temperature. A few reports on rice seed priming are available; however, its effects on the germination and emergence of Hokkaido rice cultivars under low-temperature environments remain unclear. In this study, low-temperature effects on seed germination and emergence were investigated by soaking seeds in water (hydropriming treatment). The rice varieties used, mainly consisted of direct sowing cultivars of Hokkaido, Japan. The immersion time in water at 25°C for 18 h, was considered an optimum condition by a test using “Sansanmaru” and “Hoshimaru” varieties, for direct seeding cultivation in Hokkaido. Cultivars subjected to priming showed a tendency toward accelerated early seed germination and emergence at a low temperature in comparison with non-treated test cultivars, and a substantial promoting effect was observed in “Sansanmaru” and “Daichinohoshi” varieties, in particular. The priming treatment could assist direct seeding cultivation in cold regions since the promotion effect on germination and emergence under low-temperature environments was widely observed in the Hokkaido cultivars.
