Temperature, Osmotic Pressure and Seed Treatments Influence Imbibition Rates in Sorghum Seeds

Imbibition is an essential part of the germination process and is affected by various environmental factors. The effects of temperature, seed treatment, storage and osmotic pressure on primed and untreated sorghum seed were examined. The potential influence of NaCl‐based seed‐soaking treatments was also investigated. Experiments on sorghum seeds showed that imbibition rates were higher in untreated than in primed seeds after more than 24 h of soaking and that a rise in priming temperature increased imbibition to a greater extent in the former. The influence of imbibition in regulating the seed response to priming, heat and osmotic stress is discussed.