Problems with using mean germination time to calculate rate of seed germination
2015
Soltani, Elias | Ghaderi-Far, Farshid | Baskin, Carol C. | Baskin, Jerry M.
Seed scientists and other plant biologists are interested in the measurement of germination because seeds from different individuals, populations, seed lots and treatments can differ in germination percentages, rate (speed) and uniformity. Mean time to germination (MGT) is a measure of the rate and time-spread of germination; however, there is a problem with using this method to calculate germination rate. MGT does not show the time from the start of imbibition to a specific germination percentage. MGT has been used to compare specific pairs or groups of means and to evaluate seed vigour. However, it is not the real time to mean germination but just an index of germination speed. Using MGT is not correct for ANOVA, post-ANOVA or the other comparison tests, because it does not show time to a specific germination percentage. Thus, we recommend that t50 be used instead of MGT. The t50 has all benefits of MGT, but it does not have the problems of MGT in treatment comparisons.
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