THE EFFECT OF SEED SIZE AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE GERMINATION AND YIELD OF ONIONS (Allium cepa L ).
THE EFFECT OF SEED SIZE AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON THE GERMINATION AND YIELD OF ONIONS (Allium cepa L ).
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Date
1986-07
Authors
COLE-EGHAREVBA, RACHAEL KEHINDE
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Abstract
Seeds of two local onion varieties: Maiduguri
Improved and Ex Gayanawa were graded by width in May,
1982 into two sizes: less than 2.0mm and 2.0 - 2.5mm.
The seeds were stored under six storage conditions, namely,
Baft bags in room temperature; polythene bags in room
temperature; Baft bags in the refrigerator; Polythene bags
in the refrigerator, Polythene bags in the freezer and
paper envelopes in the dessicator. Seeds from all the
treatments, except for the two storage conditions identified
as inferior (Polythene bags in room temperature and
Baft bags in the refrigerator) were partially withdrawn
from storage at the beginning of 1982/83 and 1983/84 dry
seasons and used in field trials. The 1982/83 dry season
trial was located at the A.B.U. Research Farm, Samaru,
while the 1983/84 field trial was conducted at the A.B.U.
Irrigation Research Station, Kadawa, near Kano. Each trial
was designed as a 2 x 2 x 4 (variety, seed size and storage
conditions) factorial experiment and replicated three times.
Seed laboratory germination was tested after 2, 4, 6, 8 and
15 months of storage. In the field trials, attention was
placed on yield of onion and its components as affected by
the factors studied.
In 1984, two supplementary nursery trials were carried
out at the Samaru College of Agriculture, A.B.U., Zaria to
study the effects of seed size and storage conditions on
field emergence and seedling growth. Seeds of the Institute
for Agricultural Research selection, "Composite-4" variety
stored for four months wore used for this purpose and trials
were designed as a 2 x 4 (seed size and storage conditions)
factorial experiment, replicated four times.
Amongst the storage conditions studied, the baft bags
in room temperature and the polythene bags both in the
refrigerator and the freezer were identified as the best
for seed storage. Baft bags in room temperature, Polythene
bags in the refrigerator and polythene bags in the freezer
had on the average 70%, 69%.5% and 68.6% laboratory germination
respectively after 15 months of storage. Seed storage
in the desiccator was significantly lower (65,2%) in
germination only after 15 months compared to the best three
treatments while the polythene bags in room temperature and
baft bags in the refrigerator were discarded after 8 months
of seed storage due to their low seed viability (60.9 and
54.0% respectively).
From the results obtained in the nursery trials, it
is concluded that both field emergence and seedling growth
are not significantly influenced by seed size and storage
conditions. It should be emphasized, however, that seeds
used in these trials were stored for four months only and
under conditions identified earlier as good. Consequently,
no significant influence of the factors studied on seed
laboratory germination was observed.
Prom the field trials, it is concluded that neither
variety nor location influenced significantly onion growth
and yield. However, a significant interaction between
variety and location was observed. Ex Gayanawa which
produced heavier seeds and maintained viability for longer
period in storage was obviously better adapted to Kadawa
growing conditions in terms of early maturity and yield
than Maiduguri Improved variety.
Although larger seeds were more viable than the
smaller ones in storage, they were not superior in field
emergence, growth, maturity and total yield.
Description
A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Agriculture in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy of Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria.
JULY, 1986
Keywords
EFFECT,, SEED,, SIZE,, STORAGE,, CONDITIONS,, GERMINATION,, YIELD,, ONIONS,, (Allium cepa L ).