Year 2017, Volume 2, Issue 1
| Year : | 2017 |
| Volume : | 2 |
| Issue : | 1 |
| Authors : | Marta BARBERÁ, María P. FLORES, José I.R. CASTANON, Erik DIAZ-AVILA, Myriam R. VENTURA |
| Title : | GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF TEDERA (BITUMINARIA BITUMINOSA VAR. BITUMINOSA) |
| Abstract : | This study was conducted to evaluate the germination response of tedera seeds (Bituminaria bituminosa var. bituminosa C.H Stirt) to water submersion t. Tedera is a perennial legume considered as a potential new pasture for Mediterranean, African and arid areas and traditionally used as forage for ruminants. It is characterized by deep-rootedness, drought tolerance, high protein content and nutritive value, offering elevate interest in animal nutrition. The experiment was undertaken from October 2015 with freshly harvested seeds collected by hand on natural populations from Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Seed weight of tedera was compared using four replicates of 50 seeds. The seeds were divided into two groups (two replicates each group) and submerged on ambient temperature water during 16 or 24 hours each group. The mean seed weight was 23mg and it germinates in temperatures ranging from 12°C to 20°C. Tedera have no germination requirement for light. Tedera showed radicle protrusionfrom 4-8 cm with no significant difference between groups. However, the highest percentage of seed germination was achieved in the 24 hours group (65%) compared to the 16 hours group (27%), which showed a significant decrease (p<0,05) in the percentage of seed germination. This study demonstrated that submersion during affected the Bituminaria bituminosa var. bituminosa seed germination and suggesting that tedera is a promising species for direct seeding. The results suggest that additional experiments are required for direct seeding. |
| For citation : | Barberá, M., Flores, M. P., Castanon, J. I.R., Diaz-Avila, E., Ventura, M. R. (2017). Germination characteristics of tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. Bituminosa). AGROFOR International Journal, Volume 2. Issue No. 1. pp. 139-143. DOI: 10.7251/AGRENG1701139B |
| Keywords : | Bituminaria bituminosa, seed germination, water submersion, direct seeding |
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ISSN 2490-3434 (Printed)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
ISSN 2490-3442 (Online)
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