A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND OTHER FACTORS UPON THE GERMINATION OF VEGETABLE CROPS: III. VEGETABLE VINE CROPS
A study was made of the effects of temperature and duration of exposure upon the germination of cucumber, muskmelon, and watermelon seed. Seeds of four varieties of each crop were germinated at controlled temperatures by rolled-towel method. Muskmelon seed germination was significantly reduced as temperature decreased from 60°F. through 55°, 50° and 45°F. On the other hand, germination of cucumber and watermelon seed was not significantly altered by temperature. Prolonging the duration of exposure to 15 or 22 days resulted in significant reductions in the germination of watermelons but not of the other crops. The interaction of temperature with duration of exposure caused significant differences in the germination of the three crops. At 45° and 50°F., germination decreased generally as exposure lengthened to 15 days and then increased sharply at 22 days. It is postulated that this increase was the result of temperature conditioning or some similar reaction. At 55° and 60°F., germination increased slightly as exposure increased to 8 or 15 days, followed by a decrease at 22 days. This effect was most pronounced at 60°F., probably due to greater fungal activity at that temperature.It is concluded that satisfactory germination of the vine crops can be obtained after relatively long exposure to temperatures lower than the previously accepted minima.