Germination requirements of laboratory stored seeds of Solanum nigrum and Solanum physalifolium

Abstract

As part of a study of the biology of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and hairy nightshade (Solanum physalifolium) in New Zealand the germination requirements of freshly harvested seed stored at 5C were investigated Previous studies of black nightshade germination have given conflicting evidence for optimum temperature regimes In this study alternating temperature pregermination chilling and light were all required to germinate black nightshade seed Seeds of hairy nightshade germinated only when treated with potassium nitrate (02) suggesting the presence of a primary dormancy The relevance of these results to field germination and management of freshly shed seed is discussed