Abstract
Abstract In most tropical countries, tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) are first started in nursery flats and transplanted to the field 4 to 6 weeks later to ensure good establishment. Seed of Celosia argentea (Amaranthaceae L.) usually fail to germinate under the slightest droughty condition. While sorghum ( Sorghum vulgare L.) seeds germinate well in arid zones, field establishment and seedling growth are poor under very low soil moisture condition. It is suspected that if adequate soil moisture is maintained, good emergence and field establishment are possible by direct seeding of these crops into well‐prepared seed beds. A greenhouse study was carried out to investigate the optimum soil moisture required for the germination of these crop seeds. Two temperatures, 25 to 28 and 34 C and four moisture regimes, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of field capacity were used. The soil was a sandy loam belonding to Iwo series, derived from coarse‐grained granites, gnesses, and pegmatites. A 2 ✕ 4 ✕ 4 factorial arrangement in a randomized, complete‐block design was employed. Germination and early seedling growth of tomatoes were best at soil moisture between 50 and 75% of field capacity while Celosia seeds germinated best at 75% soil moisture regime. The optimum moisture requirement for the germination of sorghum and millet ( Pennisetum americanum L.) ranged between 25 and 50% of field capacity. Celosia seeds seemed to have a narrower soil moisture tolerance than tomato, while tomato seeds seemed to be more temperature sensitive than Celosia . Both sorghum and millet seed germination were adversely affected by soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacity, but were less temperatures sensitive than tomato. The observation that sorghum and millet performed well at low soil moisture regime partly explains their ability to survive in dry ecological zones. The moisture requirements of Celosia and tomato seeds suggest supplementation of natural precipitation with irrigation to maintain the required soil moisture for best seedling emergence and growth.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato germination and early seedling growth were best at 50 to 75% field capacity.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Outcome
- Germination and early seedling growthe0
- Direction
- beste0
- Value
- 50 and 75% of field capacitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Germination and early seedling growth of tomatoes were best at soil moisture between 50 and 75% of field capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Celosia germination was best at 75% soil moisture.
CelosiaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Celosia seeds germinated best at 75% soil moisture regime”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum germination was optimal at 25 to 50% field capacity.
SorghumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The optimum moisture requirement for the germination of sorghum and millet ( Pennisetum americanum L.) ranged between 25 and 50% of field capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet germination was optimal at 25 to 50% field capacity.
Verbatim
e0“The optimum moisture requirement for the germination of sorghum and millet ( Pennisetum americanum L.) ranged between 25 and 50% of field capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Celosia seeds had a narrower soil moisture tolerance than tomato.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Celosia seeds seemed to have a narrower soil moisture tolerance than tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato seeds appeared more sensitive to temperature than Celosia seeds.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- temperature sensitivee0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- Celosiae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“tomato seeds seemed to be more temperature sensitive than Celosia”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil moisture above 50% field capacity adversely affected sorghum germination.
- Treatment
- soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacitye0
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Direction
- adversely affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both sorghum and millet seed germination were adversely affected by soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil moisture above 50% field capacity adversely affected millet germination.
- Taxon
- millete0
- Treatment
- soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacitye0
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Direction
- adversely affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Both sorghum and millet seed germination were adversely affected by soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacity”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum germination was less temperature sensitive than tomato.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both sorghum and millet seed germination were adversely affected by soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacity, but were less temperatures sensitive than tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Millet germination was less temperature sensitive than tomato.
Verbatim
e0“Both sorghum and millet seed germination were adversely affected by soil moisture in excess of 50% of field capacity, but were less temperatures sensitive than tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation was suggested to support Celosia seedling emergence and growth.
- Outcome
- supplementation of natural precipitation with irrigatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The moisture requirements of Celosia and tomato seeds suggest supplementation of natural precipitation with irrigation to maintain the required soil moisture for best seedling emergence and growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation was suggested to support tomato seedling emergence and growth.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- supplementation of natural precipitation with irrigatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The moisture requirements of Celosia and tomato seeds suggest supplementation of natural precipitation with irrigation to maintain the required soil moisture for best seedling emergence and growth”
The same questions in other papers
soil water · growth · SorghumPositive and negative results
5 papers in the same direction as this paper · 7 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
9 papers more in this group
See all 13 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.