The electrical conductivity of seed soak water provides a rapid estimate of field emergence for seed lots of chickpea in Iran

Abstract

Fourteen commercially available seed lots of chickpeas produced in different locations in Iran were tested in the laboratory and sown in the field from April 2008. The standard germination of all the lots was above 86%. The electrical conductivity of seed soak water after 24 h at 20oC was significantly correlated with conductivity after shorter periods of soaking, for example 2 h (r = 0.62, p< 0.05). The conductivity after 2 h was significantly related to field emergence (r = 0.73, p<0.01) and even yield (r = 0.74, p<0.01), possibly through the reduction in plant density due to the low emergence. Higher levels of leakage were seen for lots that gave low field emergence despite high standard germination, indicting so-called low vigour seed. Thus low vigour lots could be detected in just 2h with an inexpensive conductivity meter. Such a quick, cheap and simple method could be used on farms, just prior to sowing with a portable meter. This would be particularly useful for the adverse conditions of autumn sowings for which new cultivars are being developed to enable the crop to take advantage of soil moisture in the early spring.