Life Sciences Commons^™

Does Seed Size Affect The Rate Of Germination And Early Seedling Growth In Hairy Vetch?, Joy Ekpo

McCabe Thesis Collection

Size is an important characteristic of seed quality because larger seeds with larger volume contain more resources and are likely to exhibit greater vigor than smaller seeds (Ellis, 1992). In a range of plant species, seed size has been shown to affect germination rate, emergence rate, success of establishment, and growth (Black 1957; Bentley et al. 1980; Sanderson et al. 2002). Hairy vetch is an annual legume that is used for improvement of soil for pasture and to provide ground cover protecting against erosion (Duke 1981; Undersander 2002; Sattell et al 1988). Problems facing the establishment of hairy vetch are …