Determination of Secondary Seed Dormancy in Brinjal and Finger Millet during Storage Period

Abstract

Brinjal (Solanum melongena) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana) have high nutritional and medicinal values. Non-deep dormancy of brinjal and finger millet seeds is a problem encountered in Sri Lanka. The study aims to identify the factors affecting the temporary seed dormancy in brinjal and finger millet and determine possible ways of breaking the dormancy. The analysis was made with three factor-factorial design using storage condition, crop, and dormancy breaking treatment. Storage conditions were coldlight, cold-dark, and ambient conditions for brinjal and finger millet crop species while dormancy-breaking treatment included potassium nitrate (KNO3) or gibberellic acid (GA3), imbibition, and normal germination. Seeds of the brinjal variety ”Padagoda” and the finger millet variety ”Oshada” were stored for one month under each storage condition, and seed quality parameters were tested twice within two-week intervals using imbibition, normal germination, seedling vigor index after applying dormancybreaking treatments. The germination percentages of brinjal and finger millet and the seedling vigor index of brinjal were evaluated for each test. Storage condition was not significant (P < 0.05) for the germination percentage of brinjal and finger millet, and the seedling vigor index of brinjal. The germination percentages of brinjal resulting from imbibition, and GA3 gave higher significant differences (P < 0.05) while these tests were not significant for the seedling vigor index of brinjal. Imbibition, normal germination, and KNO3 treatment gave higher significant differences (P < 0.05) in germination percentages of finger millet. In conclusion, storage conditions did not affect brinjal and finger millet germination within one month of storage while imbibition improved the germination and seedling vigor index of brinjal and KNO3 improved germination of finger millet.