TITLE:
Effect of Mechanical and Chemical Scarification on Germination of Dodder (Cuscuta campestris Yunck.) Seed
AUTHORS:
A. B. Mustapha, N. A. Gworgwor, B. B. Jakusko
KEYWORDS:
Dormancy, Scarification, Germination, Cuscuta campestris
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.3 No.3B,
August
25,
2015
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 experiments were conducted in the Laboratory of Crop Production
and Horticulture, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State,
Nigeria, using mechanical scarification and tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4).
For the mechanical scarification the treatments were unscarified, scarified
using sandpaper and scarified using gravel arranged in a completely randomized
design (CRD) and replicated four times. For the tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid (H2SO4)
scarification, the treatment of control, 9:1, 7:3, 1:1, 4:6, 3:7, 2:8 and 1:9 H2SO4
were laid out in a Split plot design and replicated three times. The mechanical
scarification was not significant (P ≤ 0.05), a rapid increase of germination
from day 3 to day 9 was observed, and 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 minute significantly gave the highest percentage
germination (39.98%) of C. campestris compared with the 3 and 5 minutes soaking
treatments. It can be concluded that sulphuric acid of 4:6 concentrations
treatments has the potentiality to break dormancy of C. campestris seeds.