New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Changes in germination and potential longevity of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seeds during development

Ibrahim Demir
Kazim Mavi

Department of Horticulture
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Ankara
06110 Dõskapõ
Ankara, Turkey
email: demir@agri.ankara.edu.tr

Canan Oztokat

Department of Horticulture
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Onsekiz
Mart Canakkale, Turkey

Abstract  Changes in germination and potential seed longevity (K_i of the viability equation) were monitored during the development of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seeds grown in warm (minimum and maximum temperatures were 16.8 and 40.1°C) and cool (9.8 and 35.1°C) sites in 2002. Maximum seed weight (mass maturity, end of seed filling phase) was attained 25 days after anthesis (DAA) under both growing conditions. However, maximum germination was observed at 30 DAA in both sites. Potential seed longevity was achieved at 45 and 40 DAA, which were 20 and 15 days after mass maturity (the time of maximum seed dry weight) in warm and cool sites, respectively. When the maximum quality was achieved, fruit flesh was pale red, red, and 98-100% of the seeds were brown coloured. Seed dry mass and maximum potential longevity were consistently greater in cool than in warm growing sites. Dried seeds had higher germination percentages than those of fresh ones until mass maturity (25 DAA) at both sites.

Keywords  Citrullus lanatus; watermelon; seed development; germination; potential longevity

H03075; Online publication date 17 March 2004; Received 11 August 2003; accepted 19 November 2003
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2004, Vol. 32: 139-145
0014-0671/04/3201-0139 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2004

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