Department of Agronomy

College of Agricultural and Food Science

Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte

Name: Lacno, Eloiza D. Rating:

Lab Schedule: Tuesday 7:00-10:00 AM Date Performed: November 06, 2018
Lab Instructor: Ms. Loreme S. Cagande Date Submitted: November 20, 2018

Exercise No. 4
Principle of Seed Production, Seed Germination, and Seed Testing

Introduction

Germination is defined as the emergence and development from the seed

embryo of those essential structures which, for the kind of seed in question, indicate its
ability to produce a normal plant under favorable condition. As a broad generalization,
every seed consists of three essential parts, (1) an embryo, which will in due course
give rise to the new plant, (2) storage tissues which contain the substances which will
nourish the embryo during its development prior to, and for some time after,
germination, and (3) a protective covering, or seed coat, which shields the embryo and
endosperm and may also play an important part in controlling factors which initiate
germination of the seed, in particular entry of moisture and gaseous exchange.

A seed contains an embryonic plant in a resting condition and germination is its

resumption of growth. Seeds will begin to germinate when the soil temperature is in the
appropriate range and when water and oxygen are available. Optimum soil germination
temperature will vary greatly from one species to another. With soil temperature
extremely low or excessively high, growth of the seed is either slow and erratic or
germination is entirely prevented. Not all of seeds will sprout at the same time due to
constant temperature fluctuations typically observed in nature.

Objectives

1. To gain information on the different media on seed germination.

2. To acquire skills on the methods of testing seed germination.

Methodology

An experiment was conducted last November 06, 2018 showing seed

germination using different media and the methods of testing seed germination. On the
first part of the activity, the group germinated 50 monggo seeds in empty cans using the
different media which were compost and garden soil. After sowing, the cans were
watered, then occasionally thereafter to not allow the soil to dry. The cans were placed
inside the greenhouse and germination of the experimental cans were observed. On the
next part of the activity, the group obtained composite sample of seeds to be tested.
The sample seeds were evenly placed on a moistened tissue that was placed in the
bottom of the petri dish. The petri dish was then covered and labeled. Its whole set was
placed under room temperature and was ensured with maintained and enough moisture
by occasionally adding drops of water to wet the tissue paper. Composite sample of
seeds (50 seeds) were also used in the ragdoll method. In this method, the group
obtained an 8’’x8’’ cloth and a stick that was 12’’ long. The piece of cloth was
moistened and was soaked in water. It was the squeezed to get the water out to help
the seeds to stick to the cloth. After which, the cloth was spread on a flat surface. 50
monggo seeds were evenly distributed in rows of 10. The bamboo stick was them
placed along the border of the cloth. The border of the damp cloth was pressed against
the stick and simultaneously rolled the stick without moving it toward the opposite.
Rubber bands were then tied in the both ends in order to secure the cloth in place.
Lastly, the test was labeled same with Petri dish method. On November 13, 2018, the
group observed the germination process that occurred and recorded its percentage
germination on each samples.

Results and Discussion

Table 1. Percent (%) Germination under Different Methods of Testing Seed Germination

Percent (%) Germination

Methods of Total Mean
Testing Seed
Germination 1 2 3 4 5

1.Different
Media
a.Garden Soil 44% 70% 76% 94% 84% 368% 73.6%
b. Compost 32% 88% 82% 40% 96% 338% 67.6%
2.Petri Dish
Method 0% 68% 86% 82% 90% 326% 65.2%
3. Ragdoll
Method 80% 100% 62% 96% 90% 428% 85.6%

Guide Questions and Answers:

A. What are the types of germination?
The two types of germination are the Epigeal and Hypogeal Germination. In
Epigeal Germination, the hypocotyl elongates rapidly and arches upwards
pulling the cotyledons which move above the soil. Bean, cotton, papaya,
gourd, castor, and onion have germination of this kind. On the other hand,
Hypogeal Germination is the type of germination in which epicotyl elongates
and the cotyledons remain below the soil. Pea, mango, maize, rice, gram, and
groundnut have germination of this kind.

B. Discuss the external factors affecting seed germination.

Factors affecting germination process of seeds are as follows:
 Temperature- Extremely low or cold temperature is not favorable for
seed germination. They prefer higher temperatures. The germination
rate of seed is directly proportional to the rise in temperature.
Temperature has an effect on germination by its influence on the rate
of water uptake, the speed of metabolic process within the seed, and it
allows dormancy to be broken.
 Water- is a basic requirement for germination. The 1 st step in seed
germination is the imbibition of H2O to make the tissues soft and elastic
which result to the swelling and rupture of seed coat. It is essential for
enzyme activation, breakdown, translocation and use of reserve
storage material.
 Air (O2 and CO2)- air is most composed of about 20% oxygen, 0.03
carbon dioxide and about 80% nitrogen gas. Oxygen is required for
germination of most species. Respiration increases sharply during
seed germination. Since respiration is essentially an oxidation process,
an adequate supply of oxygen must be available. If the oxygen
concentration is reduced substantially below that of air, germination of
most seeds is retarded.
 Light- while moisture oxygen and available temperature for germination
of all seeds is a must, certain species also require light before the
seeds can germinate. For seed germination, light is not essential in the
early stages of germination but plays a main role in the later stages of
life cycle of plants. The germination of other seeds is favored or
hastened by light, but light is not absolutely necessary for germination.

C. Enumerate the qualities of good seeds.

Qualities of good seeds include the following:


Conclusion

After the activity was successfully done, the students were able gain information
regarding the different media and methods of testing see germination.

References:

https://seednet.gov.in/CMS/QualityControl/Seed_Testing_Manual/CHAPTER-8.pdf

http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/chapter6.pdf

http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/germination/germ.html

https://www.accessscience.com/content/seed-germination/900110