Effect of seed storage media and durations on seedling emergence and growth of fever plant (<i>Ocimum gratissimum</i>)

Abstract

A greenhouse study was conducted to determine seed viability of Ocimum gratissimum stored in various storage media, namely ambient condition, bottle, polyethylene bag, aluminium foil and paper envelope as levels in the first factor, while the second factor was duration of seed in the storage media before planting that ranged from 1-8 weeks. On each week, fifty seeds were taken from each of the storage medium and planted in polyethylene bag for a period of eight weeks. The result showed that less than 33.8% of seeds sown emerged from seeds stored for a week. Seedling emergence declined with longer duration in storage, with seedling emergence resulting to less than 6% at eighth weeks of seed storage, irrespective of the storage medium. Similarly, plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and girth of plant were equally affected. All the storage media had similar trend in their capacity to store the seeds of O.gratissimum. This study has shown that O.gratissimum seed is recalcitrant and would need to be planted immediately after seed harvest or would need unconventional seed storage methods or media. The low percentage of seed emergence even at the first week of storage suggests that the seed would need to be harvested and planted immediately after the physiological maturity of the seeds.