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Published in Crop Sci 27:117-121 (1987)
© 1987 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Response of Cicer Milkvetch Seed to Osmoconditioning1

R. H. Abernethy2

Cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.), a forage legume for which no cases of bloating have been reported, has received limited utilization partly due to failures of stand establishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the laboratory germination, field emergence, and deteriorated seed response of cicer milkvetch seedlots to osmoconditioning (OC) regimes to determine if this technique would enhance germination response and stand establishment. Seedlots responded variably to OC treatment. Significant interactions between seedlot and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) level, post-OC drying time, and duration of OC treatment were obtained for germination percent and mean germination time. An OC regime of 8 to 10 days duration in 250 g of PEG kg water–1 provided a significant reduction in mean germination time (MGT) for the two seedlots of ‘Monarch’ and two of the three seedlots of ‘Lutana’ evaluated (from 8 to 5 days over all seedlots), with little effect on laboratory germination. Concentrations of 150 and 200 g of PEG kg water–1 tended to reduce germination percent. Naturally deteriorated seed of four of the five seedlots responded positively to OC. Field emergence enhancement was variable, with a significant increase in seedling emergence for one of two experiments. The potential for improving field establishment of cicer milkvetch by OC would appear to be limited from the results of this study.

Key Words: Seed priming • Astragalus cicer L. • Seed deterioration • Mean germination time (MGT) • Field emergnce

1 Contribution of the Plant Science Dep., Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, as Journal Paper no. JA 1378.

2 Associate professor of crop science, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie.

Received for publication July 16, 1985.




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Copyright © 1987 by the Crop Science Society of America.