Effects of Simulated Drought by Polyethylene Glycol Solutions on Corn (Zea mays L.) Germination and Seedling Development
1966
Parmar, M. T. | Moore, R. P.
Drought conditions were simulated in the laboratory by using aqueous solutions having osmotic pressures from 1 to 10 atmospheres. “Carbowax” polyethylene glycol 6000 was used as the solute. Germination percentages and subsequent seedling growth of two lots of corn, differing in embryo soundness, progressively decreased with increased osmotic pressures. The effects of the high osmotic pressures were more adverse in the low than in the high quality seed lot. Soundness of embryos as revealed by tetrazolium tests was closely related to growth performance. The germination of seed under simulated drought conditions offers possibilities for revealing seed weaknesses and predicting relative differences among seed lots in field emergence.
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