Evaluation of the maturity of seeds from different sections of inflorescences of Amaranthus cruentus and Celosia argentea

Experiments were conducted in the screen house of National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Nigeria, to evaluate the level of germination and emergence of seeds from the different sections of inflorescences of two varieties each of Amaranthus (NHAc3, ED82/1040A) and Celosia (TLV8, Local green) chosen on the basis of maturity period. Seeds were taken from the basal, middle and top parts of the inflorescences of the varieties of these crops grown in the nursery. Seeds from whole inflorescence served as control. A split-plot design was used in which species served as main plot and inflorescence sections served as sub-plot with four replicates. Data were analyzed using SAS and LSD (P= 0.05). Results showed that there is distinct inflorescence maturity pattern for the two crops. The basal seeds germinated earlier and gave the highest seedling emergence while the apical seeds gave the lowest seedling emergence. Similarly, apical seeds of inflorescence gave root and plumule length that were 57% of those of the seedlings from the basal regions. Maturity of inflorescence was therefore acropetal in the crops. The determinate early flowering varieties of both species were significantly (P=0.05) superior to the indeterminate late flowering ones in seedling emergence, plumule length as well as rooting depth. It seems therefore that early seedling growth which is better in the determinate early flowering varieties of Amaranthus and Celosia is a function of varietal differences as well as growth habit of the plant.