Moistening of the substrate on seed germination of six ornamental species

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of six wetting levels of the substrate on the germination of Centaurea sp., Petunia sp., Convolvulus sp., Dhalia sp., Adonis sp. and Chrysanthemum sp. ornamental species. Two experiments were carried out in the Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana - Campus Dois Vizinhos. In the first experiment, the experimental design was in randomized blocks, in a factorial 6 x 6 (ornamental species x water volume), with four replications of 50 seeds. In the second experiment, the delineation differed by the absence of the use of Dhalia sp. Seeds. The first and second experiment had their substrates moistened uniformly with addition of distilled water at six different quantities, 0, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mL per 100 g of Vermiculite® on the experiment 1 and 400 g of Mecplant® in experiment 2. The germination percentage and emergence rate index were evaluated after 14 and 21 days of sowing, in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. With the use of Vermiculite® it was recommended for Dhalia sp. and Chrysanthemum sp. all the water volumes tested; for Petunia sp. above 150 mL, for Convolvulus sp. 200 and 250 mL of water and for Centeaurea sp., 150 and 200 mL of water. The use of the substrate Mecplant® it was recommended for Chrysanthemum sp., Convolvulus sp., Centeaurea sp. and Petunia sp. In all of the volumes of water tested. For Adonis sp., regardless of the substrate used, other studies will be necessary, since that didn’t occurred germination, what can be related to some dormancy.