Factors Limiting Germination in Triploid Watermelon
Abstract
Seedless watermelon, a major crop in Texas, grows from sterile triploid seeds. The triploid seed
varieties have poor germination rates and are typically more expensive. Identifying techniques
that increase vigor and rates of germination could decrease the amount of labor and cost of
cultivation required to grow seedless watermelons. To identify the cause of low vigor, the seeds
underwent stress tests using modified State Seed Laboratory germination techniques to measure
sensitivity to moisture and reduced gas exchange. Triploid seeds also have embryo deformations
in high frequency, which were hypothesized to play a role in low vigor. The seeds were
germinated on blue blotter paper in 9 cm petri dishes with punched holes to allow for greater gas
exchange. Seeds were inspected for deformations upon germination, and seeds that failed to
grow were inspected at the end of each repetition. It was found that increased levels of water
diminished rates of germination in triploid varieties, but had no significant effect on the diploid
control variety. Testing in elevated gas exchange conditions promoted germination rates in
triploid varieties significantly. The rate of deformation in triploid seed embryos did not alter the
seeds rate of germination. High sensitivity to limited gas exchange appears to play a larger role
in germination success of triploid seeds than the deformations originally identified. This explains
the poor vigor from seeds planted directly into the soil and calls for techniques that allow for
greater gas exchange to promote germination.
Citation
Barrera, Adrian A (2016). Factors Limiting Germination in Triploid Watermelon. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /164400.