Effects of different temperatures and salt concentrations on the germination of some corn silage varieties

With this study, the response of 3 maize silage varieties, cultivated under the Mediterranean coastal conditions, to different temperatures and salt concentrations during germination period have been determined. The experiment has been planned in Petri dishes in a germination chamber with the intent of detecting the optimum variety, germination temperature and salt concentration. Maize silage varieties (Batem Efe, Gözdem and Burak) used as the research material were supplied by Batı Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute (BATEM). Three different temperatures (24 oC, 28 oC, 32 oC) and 9 different salt dosages (distilled water, 1500, 3000, 5000, 7500, 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000 ppm salt) with fixed 75% humidity rate have been applied to these varieties. Research has been set in split-split plot design with 3 replications. Maize varieties' germination rate, damp stalk weight, damp root weight, dry stalk weight and dry root weight in these conditions were analyzed. As a result of the varience analysis, temperature, variety, temperature*variety, salt concentration, temperature*salt concentration, variety*salt concentration and temperature*variety*salt concentration triple interaction in germination rate have been deemed significant. In stalk weight characteristic, temperature, variety and salt concentration have been influential. Additionally, it has been determined that in root weight temperature, variety and salt concentration play a significant role. Given that no germination has been observed with 20000 and 25000 ppm concentrations whilst germination characteristics were tested, these two concentrations were not included in the statistical analysis. Furthermore, dry stalk and dry root weight averages were not found important statistically. The variety, Gözdem, comes into prominence amongst the varieties when the results of LSD test on the averages were evaluated collectively. In all varieties, the highest rates were obtained in 24 oC and distilled water conditions. It has been observed that the varieties used in the study have completed their seedling development up to 5000 ppm salt concentration.