ANBAR JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Abstract

The study carried in seed technology laboratory of department of field crops/ Agriculture College- University of Anbar during season of 2016, in order to study the effect of seed priming of three cultivars of sunflower Aqmar, Esihaqi 1 and Esihaq 2 in improvement of their lab and field performance, seed were soaked in four concentrations of KCl 15, 20, 25 and 30 g L-1 in addition to control treatment without soaking. The experiments were laid as factorial experiments, according to CRD with four replications for experiment. The results of this study as follow:
Cultivar Aqmar were significantly superior in all lab traits in both lab experiments that seeds were primed in KCl. It recorded highest values of germination percentage at first count 58.05%, standard germination percentage 80.65%, radicle length 15.49 cm, plumule length 9.89cm, seedling vigor index 2091, plumule fresh weight 1.430g and plumule dry weight 0.064 g.
The concentration 20 g L-1 of KCl was significantly superior in giving the highest means of germination speed 79.92%, standard germination percentage 89.92%, germination rate 8.99, radical length 18.90 cm, plumule length 12.11 cm, seedling vigor index 2792, plumule fresh weight 1.68 g and plumule dry weight 0.075 g. The two-way interaction between sunflower cultivars and KCl concentrations was significant in most studied traits. Seeds of Aqmar cv. That treated with 20 g L-1 KCl achieved the highest means of germination velocity 81.50%, seedling vigor index 3083, plumule fresh weight 1.83 g and plumule dry weight 0.083 g.