Seed Germination and Seedling Growth

in Different Conditions

14L-1027
Group III
BS Biology III

August 28 30, 2016

__________________
1

A scientific paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Plant Physiology laboratory under Mr.
Mark Alvin Restan, 1st semester, 2016-2017

ABSTRACT
The effect of some external factors on seed germination was assessed
through this experiment. Three petri dishes labeled and sown with Vigna radiata
and moistened with 20ml of distilled water were placed in three different
temperatures (room, low, and high) and resulted in having room temperature as
the best temperature for germination. On the other hand, four petri dishes labeled
and sown with V. radiata were moistened with different osmotic concentrations
which resulted to the best germination in the control group (distilled water).
Therefore, seed germination is affected by certain external factors which may
inhibit or promote seed growth.

INTRODUCTION
The germination of a seed is often used to symbolize the beginning of life, but as we
have seen, the seed already contains a miniature plant, complete with embryonic root and
shoot. Thus, at germination, the plant does not begin life but rather resumes the growth and
development that was temporarily suspended during seed dormancy (Campbell et al., 2006).
The visible sign of germination is growth of the radical through the seed coats. The root
apical meristem in the radical becomes active and begins, by cell division and elongation, to
produce the seedlings root. Food molecules in the seedling and particularly in the cotyledons
break down to supply the energy and structural molecules needed for root growth. Sometimes
after root growth begins, the embryonic shoot, called plumule, begins to grow, and the complete
seedling forms (Nabors, 2004).
Germination is a complex process whereby a seed embryo goes from a dormant state to
an active, growing state. Before any visible signs of germination appear, the seed must absorb
water through its seed coat. It also must have enough oxygen and a favorable temperature.
Some species, such as celery, also require light. Others require darkness (VanDerZanden,
2002).

Environmental conditions required to break seed dormancy vary among species. Seeds
of some species germinate as soon as they are in a suitable environment. Others remain
dormant, even if sown in a favorable place, until a specific environmental cue causes them to
break dormancy (Reece et al., 2014).
A seed in which none of the germination processes is taking place is said to be
quiescent. Quiescent seeds are resting organs, generally having low moisture content (5-15%)
with metabolic activity almost at a standstill. A remarkable property of seeds is that they are able
to survive in this state, often for many years, and subsequently resume a normal, high level of
metabolism. For germination to occur, quiescent seeds generally need only to be hydrated
under conditions that encourage metabolism, e.g., a suitable temperature and the presence of
oxygen (Bewley and Black, 1994).
This study aims to assess the effect of some external factors on seed germination. It is
hypothesized that some environmental factors may affect the seed germination that it may favor
or inhibit them from germinating. Too much and too little of these factors may give a big effect
on plants growth.
The testing on the effect of temperature and osmotic concentration on seed germination
and seed growth was conducted in the Biology laboratory (JR 306); Southern Luzon State
University, 2016.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In testing the effect of temperature in seed germination, three petri dishes lined with
tissue paper were prepared and moistened with 20ml of distilled water. Ten uniformly-sized V.
radiata seeds were sown. The three petri dishes were labeled set in three different
temperatures, one at room temperature, one inside the refrigerator, and another inside an oven.
The temperatures were recorded for each environment. Two days after, the germinated seeds

were counted and the lengths of their hypocotyl-root axis were measured. The percentage
germination and average of the hypocotyls-root axis of the seedlings were then computed and
recorded.
For the effect of varying osmotic concentration, four petri dishes lined with tissue paper
were prepared and labeled. V. radiata seeds were then sown into the petri dishes. Four set ups
with different treatments were made. The first dish considered as a control set up was
moistened with 20ml distilled water while the others were filled with 20ml of 0.5%, 1.0%, and
1.5% NaCl solutions respectively. Ten uniformly-sized seeds were sown in each petri dish. The
set ups were then incubated at room temperature. Two days after, the germinated seeds were
counted and the lengths of their hypocotyl-root axis were measured. The percentage
germination and average of the hypocotyl-root axis of the seedlings were then computed and
recorded.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results showed that a significant number of seeds germinated in certain conditions
wherein there was a room temperature and low osmotic concentration. Seeds placed in room
temperature (31C) yielded the greatest germination results as well as the seeds in the control
group of osmotic concentration experiment.
Table 1. Effect of temperature to seed germination
No. of seeds
germinated

Germination
(%)

Mean length of the

hypocotyls-root axis (cm)

1. Room Temperature (31C)

10/10

100

0.80

2. Low Temperature (12C)

10/10

100

0.69

3. High Temperature (70C)

0/10

Treatment

Figure 1. Effect on temperature set-up

Table 1 summarized the effect of temperature in seed germination wherein seeds in
room temperature condition germinated and grew longer than any other treatments seen in
figure 1. Hopkins and Huner (2008) stated that although many seeds will germinate over a wide
range of temperatures, the optimum range for most seeds is 25C to 45 C. The lower limit is
highly variable, depending on the species. The upper limit generally reflects the temperature
which denatures proteins. Fuller and Ritchie (1967) added that most seeds will not germinate if
the temperature falls close to freezing or rising above 45C. Also, the low temperature slows
down the production of the enzymes that enables the seed to grow while high temperature
destroys it.
It is observed that the number of germinated seeds at room temperature is equal to the
number of seeds germinated in low temperature. Also, difference of the length of their
hypocotyl-axis length is small although it is said that lower temperature slows down the growth
of the seed which is contrasting to the expected length. The set ups where put in their
respective conditions but the consistency of their temperature is not prominent due to
unplugging of the equipments used which may have affected the results of the experiment.
Table 2. Effect of varying osmotic concentration

Treatment

No. of seeds
germinated

Germination
(%)

Mean length of the

hypocotyls-root axis (cm)

1. Distilled water (control)

10/10

100

0.74

2. 0.5% NaCl

0/10

3. 1.0% NaCl

0/10

4. 1.5% NaCl

0/10

Figure 2. Effect on osmotic concentration set-up

Table 2 showed the summarized data of the seeds in different osmotic concentrations
and is seen in figure 2. Results showed that adding NaCl solution inhibits the germination and
growth of the seeds. In a study made by Tanveer et. al. (2012), their results showed that
germination percentage of C. oxyacantha decreased as concentration of NaCl solution
increased. Same as in mungbeans, the increase in concentration in NaCl solution inhibits the
germination of the seeds because NaCl restricts the water uptake of the seed that inhibits them
from germinating and producing enzymes responsible for their growth.
Based on the data, no seeds germinated in any set-ups having NaCl solution. It does not
reach the expected results having some seeds germinated in some solutions and the seeds in

distilled water germinated but is not that long enough. The seeds used in the experiment are
unsoaked seeds which are currently in dormancy. According to Emery (1987), for the occasional
species whose seed coats contain a readily water-soluble, germination-inhibiting chemical, this
substance can be removed by soaking the seeds in tap water or by leaching the seeds in slowly
running tap water for various lengths of time just prior to soaking. The length of time depends on
the species. With the water bath, changing the water every 12 to 24 hours will hasten this
leaching process. Softened water should not be used for this treatment. This is the reason why
seeds have germinated slower than expected. Furthermore, Finch-Savage and LeubnerMetzger (2006) added that freshly harvested mature water-permeable dormant seeds are said
to have primary dormancy, which has been induced with the involvement of abscisic acid (ABA)
during seed maturation on the mother plant. Subsequent dormancy release in the field,
following dispersal, may involve the same factors that are commonly used in the lab: either
after-ripening in the relatively dry state, or dormancy-release treatments in the imbibed state.
Kucera et al. (2005) pointed out that these imbibed seed treatments include chilling (cold
stratification), warm stratification, light, gibberellins (GA) and other hormones, smoke
substances like butenolide and compounds like nitric oxide. In contrast to primary dormancy,
secondary dormancy can be induced in seeds with non-deep physiological dormancy after seed
dispersal, and is often associated with annual dormancy cycles in the seed bank.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The effect of some external factors specifically temperature and osmotic concentration
on seed germination was assessed.
Seeds placed in the room temperature yielded better results than any other seeds
placed in low and high temperatures. All seeds germinated and resulted in longer hypocotyl-root
axis length than in low temperature which has shorter lengths and high temperature which
contain non-germinated seeds which were killed by high temperature.

Osmotic concentration affected the seed germination by means of inhibiting it. The
control group which contains pure distilled water gave the best results among all treatments
wherein it is the only one that has germinated seeds and has long hypocotyl-root axis length.
Seeds exhibit primary and secondary dormancy in which they need to imbibe water first
to break their primary dormancy before going to secondary and then germinate.
Seeds exhibit germination after imbibitions of water which raptures the seed coat giving
rise to the hypocotyl until it become a fully developed plant. But before it germinates, factors
should be considered such as temperature wherein they have their optimum temperature. A rise
in their optimum temperature may lead to the death of the seed while a low temperature may
not help in seed germination. On the other hand, large amount of NaCl also affected the
germination in a way that it inhibits its growth.
Therefore, seed germination is affected by several factors such as the environmental
temperature and the osmotic concentration.

LITERATURE CITED

Seed Dormancy. < http://www.seedbiology.de/dormancy.asp>. Accessed September 3, 2016.

Bewley, J. D. and Black, M. 1994. Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination. 2 nd ed.
New York: Plenum Press. Pp. 4-6.

Campbell, N. A. et. al. 2006. Biology: Concepts and Connections. 5 th ed. Jurong, Singapore:
Pearson Education, Inc. pp. 660-669.

Emery,
D.E.
1987.
Seed
Propagation
of
Native
California
http://calscape.org/seed_propagation.php>. Accessed September 2, 2016.

Plants.

<

Fuller, H. J. and Ritchie, D. D. 1967. General Botany. 5 th ed. Mandaluyong, Rizal: Barnes and
Noble, Inc. pp. 25-27

Hopkins, W. G. and Huner, N. P. A. 2009. Introduction to Plant Physiology. 4 th ed. USA: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 279-287.

Nabors, M. 2004. Botany: An introductory Approach. 1st ed. United States: Pearson Education
Inc. pp. 135-136.

Reece, J. B. et. al. 2014. Campbell Biology. 10 th ed. United States of America: Pearson
Education, Inc. pp. 823-826.

Tanveer, Asif. et. al. 2012. Environmental factors affecting the germination and seedling
emergence of Carthamus oxyacantha M. Bieb. (wild sunflower). Pakistan Journal of Weed
Science Research: A quarterly research journal of weeds and medicinal herbs. Vol.18:221235.

VanDerZanden, A.M., Rost, B. & Eckel, R. 2002. Basic Botany On-Line: A Training Tool for the
Master Gardener Program. Journal of Extension, 40(5).