ABSTRACT
Agronomic evaluation of the osmotic conditioning of sweet pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum L.). I. Effects on thé germinative process, under different temperatures

Agustín Aljaro U.1 y Marcelo Martínez R.2
 

At La Platina Experimental Station (INIA, Santiago), during the 1984/85 season, sweet pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum L.) cv. California Wonder 300, were conditioned osmotically by soaking in a -14 bars solution of magnesium sulphate, at 25ºC for 9 days. Treated seeds were dried and exposed to laboratory germination tests, at eight different temperatures: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40ºC. Non treated seed was considered as control. The priming technique improved significantly the speed, uniformity and rate of germination at every thermic regime, and enlarged the optimum temperature range required by this process. On the other hand, significant values of germination in treated seeds were found under and over the optimal thermic levels (5, 10, and 40ºC). At these regimes, control seeds did not germinate or they showed very low values.

Keywords:
1 Estación Experimental La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.
2 Gran Avenida José Miguel Carrera 6843, Depto. 31, Santiago, Chile.