The effect of temperature on the germination of six selected weed species

Abstract

Field-collected seeds were incubated in a germination cabinet at three temperature regimes and germination percentage was determined after incubation. Species such as Arctotheca calendula, Avena fatua, Bromus diandrus and Raphanus raphanistrum germinated best when subjected to a diurnal temperature regime of 12h/12h at 10/15 °C, which correlates with late autumn to early winter temperatures in the Western Cape. Among the germinated weed species, A. fatua germinated most with a cumulative value of 90% as compared to R. raphanistrum which germinated least with a cumulative value of 12%.

Keywords:

• germination
• temperature
• tetrazolium
• winter weeds