Seed Vigour Tests to Estimate Seedling Emergence in Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) Seed Lots

This work was carried out to estimate field and controlled room seedling emergence potential through seed vigour tests in cress (Lepidium sativum L.) seeds. Early radicle emergence percentages after 12 (RE12h), 24 (RE24h) and 36 (RE36h) hours of germination test, mean germination time, accelerated aging (45 degrees C, 100% RH, 24 h), electrical conductivity (EC) of soaking water (40 ml, 50 seeds, 20 degrees C), after 16 hours (EC16h) and 24 hours (EC24h), and EC16h and EC24h after accelerated ageing (AA, 45 degrees C, 100% RH, 24h) were tested as vigour tests in ten commercial seed lots of cress. Standard laboratory germination ranged between 88 and 93%. Seeds were sown on two occasions in field and controlled room conditions, and seedling emergence percentages were determined after 30 days in the soil and 14 days in the controlled room. Seedling emergence ranged between 67 and 85% and 59 and 83% in the first and second sowings in the field. These values were 75 and 92% in controlled room sowing. Vigour tests were correlated to seedling emergence potential at various significance levels but RE24h and EC16h showed the highest correlation coefficient values (p < 0.001) in all three sowing conditions as r = 0.879-0.988 in RE24h, and r = 0.902-0.962 in EC16h. Results indicated that early radicle emergence percentages after 24 hours (RE24h) and electrical conductivity value after 16 hours (EC16h) can be successfully used to estimate the seedling emergence potential of cress seeds in field and controlled room conditions.