Effect of Pre-chilling and Storage Temperature on Seed Germination of Solanum macrocarpon L. (African Eggplant)

This study examined the effects of storage temperature and pre-chilling on the germination of the seeds of Solanum macrocarpon – which, according to literature, have a seed viability of 63.33%. In our study, the seeds were sown in dry Petri dishes and placed in the refrigerator set at 4 °C for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. Another set of seeds was placed in incubators set at 25, 35, and 45 °C for 40 days before the germination experiment was carried out on a laboratory workbench. Results from the study revealed that while the storage temperature had a significant effect on that the germination of seeds of this plant, pre-chilling of seeds and incubator treatments generally reduced seed germination. Thus, the seed germination in this plant is temperature dependent.