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Germination Behavior of Salsola as Influenced by Temperature, Moisture, Depth of Planting, and Gamma Irradiation¹

Salsola kali, L. seeds contain fully differentiated seedlings and these uncoil in minutes with favorable temperature and moisture. If germinated on the soil surface, the uncoiled seedling will dehydrate and die if it cannot push its roots into the soil. Germination is most favorable for seeds covered with soil. For this reason the species generally appears only on disturbed soils. Seeds germinate satisfactorily at 17 C and at 9.1% soil moisture in Yolo loam stabilized with krilium and seedlings emerged from a planting depth of 7.5 cm. Evidence obtained with gamma irradiation from a Co⁶⁰ source indicates that germination consists of rapid cell elongation in response to moisture and that new cell division is not necessary to the process. Irradiation of seed at levels above about 50,000 R impaired cell division but levels of over 400,000 R were necessary to cause additional germination injury.

Key Words: seed • weeds • ionizing radiation • desert ecology

² Professor of Plant Nutrition, Dept. Agricultural Sciences, UCLA; Scientific Specialist, Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Laboratory Technician IV, UCLA.

Received for publication July 18, 1967.