Effect of Different Storage Periods and Medium on Germination and Seedling Parameters of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Germination is the first stage of a plant’s life. The seeds of grain legumes are used both as food and as seedlings. The vitality of the seeds is crucial for both uses. This study was conducted to determine the effect of storing seeds of the Lara variety of Faba bean (Vicia faba L.), harvested in 2023, in different periods (4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months) and different storage medium (paper bag, plastic bag, glass jar and plastic bottle) on their biological value. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with three replications. Germination was done in 2 different materials (sand and paper) in room conditions. Germination speed, germination power, length of plumula and radicle, dry matter of them, seedling vigour index, allometric coefficient, germination energy were observed. On the 4th day, which is considered in determining the germination rate for faba beans, no germination value was determined in any process. Germination power values varied between 72.7% and 97.3%. The highest germination value was obtained from seeds stored for 8 and 10 months. The highest value was recorded in plumula and root length values in 12 and 8-month-old stored seeds, respectively. It was determined that storage medium did not have a single effect on the observed measurements for these experiments. However, statistical differences between storage period and storage material interactions were found to be significant. The statistical differences between storage period and storage material interactions were found to be significant. As a result, it was concluded that the germination rate of the faba bean was early on the 4th day, the counting day, and this value should be studied. It has been concluded that the loss of germination power is very low in about 1 year of storage of faba bean, which have strong germination ability.