EFFECT OF SALINITY ON IMBIBITION AND GERMINATION RATES OF LUPINE SEEDS.
Growing crops using poor quality Later can result in poor germination and seedling survival. Low germination rates of various crops in the Bahamas result from the high salinity of the irrigation water. This study investigated the effects of using varying levels of sea water on germination and imbibition rates of lupine (Lupinus albus) seeds. In separate completely randomized design experiments, 100 lupine seeds were placed in conical flasks and either de ionized distilled water (DDW). 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% sea water added to each flask. Seeds ware removed from each flask every hour for the first 8 hours and every six hours thereafter for 48 hours. lmbibition rate is expressed as mg/ghr using the formula: (original weight - weight at y hr) × 1000)/(original weight x y hrs). Germination of seeds was measured beginning 3 days after imbibition began and the experiments were terminated after 10 days. The highest rate of imbibition (178.8 mg/g/hr) was recorded for lupine seeds placed in 25% sea water and the lowest of 152.8 mg/g/hr for seeds placed in 100% sea water after two hours. Germination ranged between 49% (100% sea water) to 94.7% for seeds placed in DDW. It would appear that if lupine seeds were primed with 25% sea water (approximately 150 ppm, NaCI) there would be no significant reduction in either the imbibition or the germination rates.