Aliyu Mustapha Bawuro
Modibbo Adama University of Technology
Nigeria
Title: Effect of mechanical and chemical scarification on germination of dodder (Cuscuta campestris Yunck.) seed
Biography
Biography: Aliyu Mustapha Bawuro
Abstract
Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of seed treatment on germination of Cuscuta campestris. This may provide the possible ways to overcome the problem of dormancy in Cuscuta campestris. The experiment were conducted in the Laboratory of Crop Production and Horticulture, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, using wet heat treatment, mechanical scarification, gibberellic acid (GA3) and tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4). For wet heat the treatments were control, 1 second, 2, 3, 4, and 5 seconds. For the mechanical scarification the treatments were unscarified, scarified using sandpaper and scarified using gravel arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated four times. For the tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4) scarification the treatment were control, 9:1,7:3, 1:1, 4:6, 3:7, 2:8 and 1:9 H2SO4laid out in a Split plot design replicated three times, while for gibberellic acid (GA3) the treatment were control, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 ppm laid out in a Split plot design replicated three times. The results showed that wet heat treatment for 5 seconds significantly produced the highest germinated C. campestris seeds (36.53 %) than the control treatments. Though mechanical scarification was not significant (P < 0.05), a rapid increase of germination from day 3 to day 9 was observed, with the highest rate of germination percentage (14 - 22 %) obtained on day 9. Tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid treatment of 4:6 concentrations significantly gave the highest C. campestris seeds germination percentage (40.07 %) compared with the rest of the treatments, while the time of soaking the seeds in the tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid showed that soaking the seeds for 1 second significantly gave the highest percentage germination (39.98 %) of C. campestris compared with the 3 and 5 seconds soaking treatments. The effect of interaction between the giberrellic acid (GA3) and the soaking time shows 250 ppmGA3and soaking time of36 hours had significantly the highest germination percentage (4.50 %) of C. campestris seeds compared with the control (0.79 %), 50 ppm (0.99 %) and 200 ppm (1.98 %) treatments. It can be concluded that wet heat for 5 seconds, sulphuric acid of 4:6 concentrations and of 250 ppmGA3and soaking time of 36 hours treatments has the potentiality to break dormancy of C. campestris seeds.