Effect of soil salinty on seed germination of different weights in corn in eastern Venezuela

Efecto de la salinidad del suelo sobre la germinación de semillas de maíz de diferentes pesos en el oriente venezolano

The objective was to evaluate the effect of three seed sizes of two corn cultivars on the germination of seeds sowed in two saline soils (9.11 and 15.19 dS m^-1) in Eastern Venezuela. The control was a soil with an EC of 0.13 dS m^-1. Sowing was carried out in aluminum trays using 10 kg of soil per tray and 50 seeds. A split-split-plot design was used with four replications, the main plots were the osmotic potentials (0.005 - 0.328 and - 0.547 MPa, corresponding to 0.13, 9.11 y 15.19 dS m^-1, respectively), sub-plots were the two corn cultivars (Himeca 95 and Pioneer 361) and sub-sub-plots were three seed weights (<0.32 g, 0.32 - 0.36 g and >0.36 g). Germination percentage, germination speed index and mean number of days to final germination were recorded. The increased salinity level caused a decreasing in seed germination and delays in the germination process. Osmotic potentials of saline soil evaluated had no influence on salinity tolerance by the two corn cultivars in the germination stage. Seed weight had no effects on the germination process under the three evaluated soils.

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