Effects of microbubbles and temperature on the germination of the saltmarsh plant, Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort

Abstract

Abstract Background Temperature and dissolved gas availability are important parameters for the germination of saltmarsh plants. As a newly developed method to increase the dissolved gas availability, microbubble technology has shown to increase the crop production. However, the effects of microbubbles on the germination of saltmarsh plants have not been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the microbubbles on the germination of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. in different temperatures (6, 12, 18, 24 and 30ºC). Results The highest germination rate was observed at 24 ºC in MBs water. The germination rates at microbubbles were significantly higher than those at control, deionized water at 24 ºC. The germination energy was significantly higher at 24 and 30 ºC than at 6 and 12 ºC in both deionized and microbubbles waters. The mean germination time was significantly shorter at 24 and 30 ºC than at 6 and 12 ºC in both waters. However, no significant effects of microbubbles were observed in terms of germination energy and mean germination time. Conclusion This study suggests that microbubbles improves the germination rate of S. maritima at the optimal temperature (24ºC), but GE and MGT were not affected by microbubbles but by temperature in S. maritima.