Seed Germination Table 
Prepared by Agricultural Marketing Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C: 


Name of seed 

Alfalfa—Medicago sativa.. ....... 
Bahia grass—Paspalum notatum.. . 
Barley—Hordeum vulgare.......-+ 
Bean, field—Phaseolus oulgaris.... 
Bean, velvet—Stizolobium utile... . 
Bean, Mung—Phaseolus aureus .. 
Beet, field (not sugar) — Beta 
gulgari 
Bentgrass: 
Creeping (seaside): 
Agrostis palustris......-... 
Highland: 
Agrostis tenuis var.......-- 
Agrostis spp......2++-+++> 
Bermuda grass—Cynodon dactylon. 
Bluegrass: 
Annual—Poa annua......... 
Canada—Poa compressa.... 
Kentucky—Poa pratensis. ... 
Rough—Poc trivialis........ 
Wood—Poa nemoralis....... 
Bluestem—Agropyron smithit..... 
Brome, smooth—Bromus inermis. . 
Broomcorn—Sorghum vulgare tech- 
WUECUS ieioiets ce wrareisrerereieistoleltathisss ars 
Buckwheat—Fagopyrum vulgare. . 
Carpet grass—Azonopus compres-. 
gus. 
Chickpea—Cicer arietinum....... 
Clovers: 
Alsike—Trifolium hybridum. . 
Berseem-— Trifolium alexandri- 
num. 
Bur—Medicago arabica and 
Medicago hispida. 
Crimson—Trifolium incarna- 
tum. 
Persian—Trifolium resupina- 
tum. 
Red—Trifolium pratense..... 
Sour—Melilotus vndica....... 
Strawberry—Trifolium fragi- 
ferum. 
Subterrapean—Trifolium sub- 
terraneum. 
Suckling—Trifolium dubium.. 
Sweet—Melilotus alba and 
Melilotus officinalis. 
White—Trifolium repens..... 
Cotton—Gossypium hirsutum..... 
Cowpeas—V igna sinensi3.......- 
Corn, field—Zea mays .........-- 
Corn, pop—Zea mays everta...... 
Crested dogtail—Cynosurus cris- 
tatus. 
Crotalaria—Crotalaria intermedia 
and C. spectabilis. 
Dallis grass—Paspalum dilatatum. 
Fescue: 
Hair—Festuca capillata...... 
Meadow—Festuca elatior..... 
Other fescues...........-.-- 
Flax—Linum usitatissimum...... 
Guinea grass—Panicum marimum. 
Kudzu—Pueraria thunbergiana.... 
Lespedeza: 
Chinese—Lespedeza sericea... 
Common—Lespedeza striata. . 
Korean—Lespedeza stipulacea. 
Lupine—Lupinus luteus.......... 
Meadow foxtail—Alopecurus pra- 
tensis. 
Medick, black—Medicago lupulina. 
Millet: 
* Browntop—Panicum fascicu- 
latum. 
Foxtail, German, Hungarian, 
or Golden—Setaria italica.. 
Japanese—Echinochloa crus- 
galli frumentacea. 
Pearl—Pennisetum glaucum. . 
Proso—Panicum miliaceum... 
Molasses grass—Melinis minutiflora. 
Napier grass—Pennisetum pur- 
pureum. 
Oats—Avena sativd...........6+- 
Oatgrass, tall—Arrhenatherum ela- 
tis. 
Orchard grass—Dactylis glomerata. 
Sub- 
strata! 
B,S 

Peas, field—Pisum sativium arvense 
Rape—Brassica napus......---++ 



Tem- 
pera- 
ture 

20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-35 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-35 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20 
20-30 

First 
count 

Days 
- 
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Final 
count 

Days' 
7 
90 



Remarks 
Light; potassium nitrate; 
prechill fresh seed for 
4 weeks at 5°C.? 
Fresh seed prechill 5 
days at 5° or 10°C. 
Soak in water 2 hours 
before testing. Wash 
in running water 
after soaking. 
Light; potassium nitrate. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Light. 
Light; potassium nitrate. 
Light. 
Do. 
Do. 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate and 
15°C. 
Light. 
Light. 
Fresh seed 15° C. 
“Prewet’™ seed on re- 
test.3 
Watch for weevil injury 
to plumule. 
Light; fresh seed pre- 
chill for 3 days at 5° 
or 10°C. 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate. 
Potassium nitrate 
Light. 
Light. 
Fresh seed prechill for 
5 days at 5° or 10° C 
Light. 
Germination more rapid 
in soil; light on Petri 
dish tests. 

1 Substrata: _B=between blotters; 
towel test; S=soil or sand; TS=top of soil; 
or 1 thickness of absorbent cotton or 5 th 
? Treatment with approximately (75 percent) su 
cause seed to grow at 20-35 light without prechilling or 
for treatment vary with thickness of glumes on individu 
3 “Prewet” method on cotton; shake seed 
“fyzz” of the seed. Blot off all excess moisture an 
it and the standard germination. 
test is higher report both 
62 
TB =top of blotters; T= 
P =petri dishes wi 
aper toweling; R =rolled 
i 
t 
2 thicknesses of blotters 
icknesses of paper toweling. 
al 
Ifuric acid from 45 to 90 minutes will 
otassium nitrate. Time limits 
sample. 
in a closed container, thoroughly wetting the 
d put in to germinate. If the prewet 
Name of seed ctrata 

Redtop—Agrostis alba..... yep eade TB, P 
Reed Canary grass—Phalaris arun-|  P 
dinacea. 
Rescue grass—Bromus catharticus. . P 
Rhodes grass—Chloris gayana....| P 
Rice—Oryza sativd,......++++++> B, T 
Rye—Secale Cereule,.......+++++ 9 
Ryegrass: 
Italian—Lolium multiflorum. .| P,TB 
Perennial—Lolium perenne...| P, TB 
Sainfoin—Onobrychis viciaefolia...| B 
Sorghum: 
Grain—Sorghum vulgare...... B,S 
Sweet (sorgo)—Sorghum vul-| B,S 
gare. 
Soybean—Soja maz.......++++++ RT,S 
Sudan grass—Sorghum vulgare su- B,S 
danese. 
Sweet vernalgrass—Anthoxanthum| P 
odoratum. 
Timothy—Phleum pratense......- 
Velvetgrass—Holcus lanatus...... P 
Vetch: 
Common—V icia sativa......- 
Hairy—Vicia villosa........- 
Hungarian—Vicia pannonica. 
Monantha—Vicia monanth1.. 
Narrowleaf—Vicia angustifolia 
Purple—Vicia atropurpurea. . 
Woolypod—Vicia dasycarpa. . 
Wheat: 
Common—spelt and emmer 
Triticum aestivum. 
Durum—Triticum aestivum... 
Wheatgrass: 
Crested—A gropyron cristatum. 
Slender—Agropyron pauciflor- 
um. 
VEGETABLES AND HERBS 
Artichoke—Cynara scolymus...... 
Asparagus—A sparagus officinalis . 4 
Beans: 
Garden—Phaseolus vulgaris...| R,S 
Horse or broad—Vicia faba...| _S 
Lima—Phaseolus lunatus..... R,S 
Beet, Swiss chard and mangel—| B 
Beta vulgaris. 
Brassica oleracea varieties: Cab-| B 
bage, collards, kale, brussels 
sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, 
and kohlrabi. 
Carrot—Daucus carota.........-. 
Celeriac—Apium graveolens, var. 
rapaceum. 
Celery—Celeri graveolens var. dulce.| B, TB 
Chicory—Cichorium intybus...... P,TS 
Citron—Citrullus vulgaris.......- T 
Corn, sweet—Zea mays........-- R,S 
Cornsalad—Fetticus—Valerianella|} B 
locusta var. olitoria. 
Cress: 
Garden—Lepidium sativum...| B 
Water—Roripa nasturtium-| P 
aquaticum. 
Cucumber—Cucumis sativus...... T,S,B 
Dandelion—Leontodon taraxacum. . B 
Eggplant—Solanum melongena var. 
esc tum. 
Endive—Cichorium endivia....... Pas 
Leek—Allium porrum........+++ B 
Lettuce—Lactuca sativa.........- P 
Muskmelon—Cucumis melo....... B,T,S 
Mustard—India, Brassica juncea..| P 
Okra—Hibiscus esculentum....... R 
Onion—Allium cepa........+++++ B,S 
Parsley—Petroselinum hortense....| B 
Parsnip—Pastinaca saliva........ B 
Peas, garden—Pisum satioum..... Rk, S 
Pepper—Capsicum spp.......--- fy 
Pumpkin—Cucurbita pepo.......- Abe) 
Radish—Raphanus sativus,....... B 
Rhubarb—Pheum rhaponticum....| TS 
Rutabaga—Brassica napobrassica.| B 
Salsify—Tragopogon porrifolius...| T 
Sorrel—Rumer acetosa........... TS 
Spinach: 
Common—Spinacea oleracea. . 
New Zealand—Tetragonia ez- 

DANSG ise ee star ciereve mae noietes TS 
Squash—Cucurbita sp..........-. 1059 
Tomato: 
Common—Lycopersicon e8- 
CULEMUNTI toi clere cloleio.sisie F 
Turnip—Brassica cape 
Watermelon—Citrullus culgaris. .. 



pera- 

20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20 
= 
or 
awRI NO Om 
20 
20 
20-30 
20 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
20-30 
bo 
gE 
oo 
~ 

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oon 
oor a NA 
Orn TA NNO PP 
OS 
mo sO OU OD SI 09 He OD OVD Ft OU 
m OOM OT 

Sub- Tem- | First |Final 
count count! 


Remarks 
Light. 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate. 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate and 15+ 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate. 
Light. 
Fresh seed prechill at 
5° or 10° C. for 5 days. 
Light. 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate. 
Light. 
Fresh seed prechill at 5° 
or 10°C. for 5 days. 
Fresh seed prechill at 5° 
or 10°C. for 5 days. 
Light; fresh seed 15° C. 
Light. 
Watch for “baldhead” 
and other injuries. 
Watch for “baldhead” 
and other injuries, 
Soak in water 2 hours 
before testing. Wash 
in running water after 
soaking. 
Light. 
Light 
Light; potassium nitrate 
or soil. 
Fresh seed 10° or 15° C. 
Light; potassium nitrate 
or soil. 
Light for %4 hour; fresh 
seed prechill at 10° or 
— 15°C. for 3 days, 
Light; fresh seed potas- 
sium nitrate and pre- 
chill at 10°C. for 3 
days. 
Light. 
Fresh seed prechill at 
10° C. for 3 days. 
Light. 
Not too wet. 
Light. 
SEED TRADE 

‘ 
% 
+ 
Of - 
