Effect of physical and chemical treatments on percentage and speed germination in Atriplex spp were evaluated. Germination percentage was higher for A. acanthocarpa and A. nummularia respect to A. canescens. Scarification had the higher seed germination percentage followed by sulfuric acid and potassium nitrate. About germination's speed A. canescens and A. nummularia were the fastest.

Effect of physical and chemical treatments on percentage and speed germination in Atriplex spp were evaluated. Germination percentage was higher for A. acanthocarpa and A. nummularia respect to A. canescens. Scarification had the higher seed germination percentage followed by sulfuric acid and potassium nitrate. About germination's speed A. canescens and A. nummularia were the fastest.

Freshly-harvested wheat (Triticum aestivum) seed exhibit post-harvest dormancy which is essentially lost following three to eight weeks storage at room temperature. The effects of mechanical scarification, gibberellic acid, humic acid, high and low temperatures on the germination of freshly-harvested (dormant) wheat (T. aestivum) seeds were evaluated. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replicates per treatment. Mechanical scarification and cold treatment were the most efficient method of breaking post-harvest dormancy by improving the germination rate from 23 percent to over 95 percent six days after germination. This was followed by the Gibberellic acid. Humic acid had no significant effect on the germination of seed of all the cultivars tested. The effect of heat treatment at 45 degrees C varied from one cultivar to another. The optimum temperature for germination of after-ripened seeds which have lost their dormancy during storage was about 25 degrees C. Comparison of different temperature regimes showed a steady decrease of germination of these seeds with the increase of temperature from 25 to 30, 35, 40 and 45 degrees C. Their germination was completely inhibited at 45 degrees C

Field study was carried out with 10 soybean varieties in the rainy season 1994. The aim was to compare seed deterioration during field storage and to determine the relationships between physical characteristics and quality of soybean seed. An RCB design with 4 replications was used. Seed quality was evaluated by standard germination and 3 methods of vigour test, i.e. accelerated ageing test, electrical conductivity test and field emergence test. The results revealed that seed deterioration during field storage were different among 10 soybean varieties. The seed of KPS292 vegetable soybean deteriorated most rapidly and showed the poorest seed quality at harvest. Seed germination of CM60 and NS1 decreased faster than that of KUSL20004, AGS129, SJ4, SJ1, ST1, SJ2 and SJ5 respectively, during field storage. Some physical characteristics of seed such as seed weight, eccentricity value, percent seed coat and percent embryonic axis were found to correlate with seed quality.

Study on the Puang and Jed-Bai local cucumber varieties seed dormancy and breaking treatments were investigated by 3 seed lots. Those seed lots harvested from the non-incubated fruit compared with the 5 and 7 days incubated fruits. The various physical and chemical treatments were investigated for seed dormancy and improving germination. The after-ripening evidence should be noted seed dormancy of both varieties by 20 days discontinuous sun-dry treatment and 9 days hot-air dry (40 deg C) was also effectived. By the way, the aging treatment (45 deg C 100 percent RH for 2 days) and 9 days hot-air dry were induced high germination of Jed-Bai The 0.2 percent KNO3 and 1.5*10*[-6) M exogenous GA3 solution were stimulated Jeb-Bai seed germination better than Puang variety. The possible relationship between the various treatments kinetin and GA3+ethephon and improved germination are more discussion of the mechanism combination solution GA3+ethephon also the endogenous seed hormones determination.

The aim of this experiment is directed to find out the effect of lodging on spikelet characteristics of each part of panicle. Rice panicles of normal and lodging ones can be divided into three parts : the tip, the middle and the base. For the purpose of study, physical characteristic of each part panicle such as the weight of panicle, the weight of spikelets, the amount and the weight of filled spikelet, the amount and the weight of 1000 filled spikelet are observed. This also followed by observation on physiological characteristics of panicle. This include the percentage of the filled spikelet and partially filled + unfertilized spikelet, potential germination, standard germination and seedling vigour. Lodging, when its close to harvest time, tend to reduce the physical characteritics of the panilcle but there is no effect on its physiological characteristics. The weight of spikelets from the panicle of lodging plant are lighter 25.5 percent than those from panicle of the normal plant. The location of the spikelet in the panicle influenced the amount and the weight of partially filled + unfertilized spikeled, the percentage of filled and partially filled + unfertilized spikelet in the panicle as well as the physiological charecteristics of filled spikelet. The physiological characteristics of filled spikelet of the tip part of panicle are better than those in the base part of panicle

The in vitro resistance of five white and four coloured-flowered lines and cultivars of Vicia faba to seed and root inoculation with spore suspensions of the pathogenic soil-borne fungi, Fusarium culmorum and Pythium debaryanum, was investigated under aseptic conditions in the UK. The presence of foliar diseases was also assessed in the field in 1989/90. White-flowered lines were more susceptible than coloured genotypes to fungal infection during germination but equally resistant during seedling growth. High-tanning containing seed coats had chemical and physical properties which protected seeds against fungal infection during germination. Frequent cracking of the seed coat in a zero-tannin line was associated with a greater fungal contamination of seeds. Resistance to the foliar diseases Uromyces viciae-fabae and Botrytis fabae was not related to flower colour. The results are discussed in relation to emergence in white-flowered types

The efectiveness of chemical, physical and mechanical control or a combination of these measures in minimizing storage rot disease of yam was determined using two storage methods. Storing under either modified pit or conventional method had no significant effect on rot of yam tubers. Different yam varieties varied in their response to different control measures. Kinampay responded positively to T2 (mechanical trimming and wood ash), T3 (mechanical trimming + fungicides + wood ash), T4 (fungicide alone) and T5 (hot water treatment); VU-2 to T2 nd T3 and Acc 007 to T5. However, untreated tubers of Kinampay and VU-2 had a lower severity of rot disease compared to those applied with the most effective disease control treatments. Higher percentage germination of tubers was likewise noted in T2, T3 and T6 (untreated). Significant interaction effects of variety, storage methods and control measures as well as their combination were also noted. Yam tubers were generally sensitive to curing, fungicide and hot water treatments