Determination Of The Influence Of Temperature And Salinity On The Germination Of Abelmoschus Esculentus See

Research Article
Thananthika Sittampalam., Nirosha Razeek and Ranganathan Kapilan
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Abelmoschus esculentus, germination, salinity, temperature, germ tube.
Abstract: 

The environmental stress such as salinity and temperature are among the major obstacles for field crops around the world. The objective of this study was to test the effects of different salinity levels and temperature on the seed germination and early seedling growth of Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra). Each set of triplicate petridishes were filled with moist sterile cotton wool and ten Okra seeds were placed and allowed to germinate in different water baths set at different temperatures in dark, warm condition, for seven days. Similar set up was made with different concentrations of NaCl. Parameters measured from these two set ups were, the percentage of germination, germination index, general normal seedling percentage, mean time to germination and the length of germ tube. The decline in the characteristic features of germination in response to higher temperature and higher NaCl concentration are a consequence of Okra establishing its life system in less saline and moderate warm environment. The highest germination characteristics were observed at the moderately warm temperatures and lower salinity conditions of germination of Okra seeds and the lowest at the higher saline and the outside the range of moderate temperatures. Optimum germination responses were expressed by Okra at 35oC temperature and 50mM salinity.