Studies on the sensitivity of monogerm sugar beet germination to water

Abstract

SUMMARY Excessive water in the substratum inhibited germination of monogerm sugar beet seed but it was not lethal, and other crop seeds tested were not as sensitive as beet. The inhibition was not evident in a pure oxygen atmosphere and was lessened when the fruit cap was removed. Although bacterial populations on fruits absorbed appreciable quantities of oxygen, differences between populations in optimum and excessive water were insufficient to account for the inhibition. Anatomical observations revealed the presence of a pore through the sclerified fruit wall at the point of attachment to the mother plant. Evidence indicated that the pore was the route for oxygen and water uptake to the seed, and theoretical calculations of gas flux suggested that oxygen supply would be insufficient to sustain germination when the pore was filled with water.