Cabbage seed germination in two media under three temperatures

Abstract

A replicated cabbage germination study was conducted to evaluate growth media and temperature. Fifty seeds of 'Rio Verde' cabbage were counted and placed into petri dishes with filter paper and 15 cm square plastic trays filled with a commercial vegetable plug mix. Four replications of each were placed into growth rooms set at 15, 23.5, and 27°C. Germination counts were made nine times starting on day 4 and ending on day 18. Fresh weight and plant height measurements were taken only on plants germinated in the plastic trays. Fresh weights were taken on a random sample of 10 plants from each replicate at 15 and 18 days after seeding. Plant height was measured on day 18. As expected, germination was slower in
the 15C room, with 0 germination in the plug mix after 4 days and only 1% germinated in the Petri dishes. The 23.5 and 27°C rooms had from 7 to 81% germination on day 4. Germination was greater in the plug mix than in the Petri dish at 27 C, but the reverse was true at 23.5 and 15C. Final germination taken at day 18 was similar for all temperatures and treatments with a range from 91 to 97% germination. Fresh weight increased with time (3 days) by 20,25, and 44% for room temperatures of 27, 23.5, and 15 C, respectively. Plant height and number of true leaves increased with temperature. There were no true leaves expanded in the 15C room at the end of 18 days. Over all, germination at 15 C could be measured earlier in the Petri dishes than in plug mix. The plug mix trays were earlier than the Petri dishes at 20 and 27 C temperatures.