INFLUENCE OF LOW TEMPERATURE ON GERMINABILITY OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)

ABSTRACT

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the main source of staple food for human consumption. Low temperature is a major problem for agricultural production and it affects rice production globally. Rice is a cold-sensitive plant that has its origin in tropical or subtropical areas and cold damage can cause serious yield losses. Low temperature affects rice cultivation mainly in two stages of development i.e. seedling and booting. In both of them, the cold temperature has harmful effects on crop productivity. Low temperature during the reproductive stage in rice causes degeneration of spikelets, incomplete panicle exertion, and increases spikelet sterility thus reducing grain yield. This research study was conducted to check the influence of low temperature on the germinability of rice (Oryza sativa), as the rice seeds were placed in a low-temperature condition using an ice block at a stipulated time interval of 1HAE, 3HAE, 6HAE, 24 HAE, and EEP (HAE: HOURS AFTER EXPOSURE, EEP: ENTIRE EXPOSURE), results showed that rice was sensitive to cold shock, as for the EEP rice seeds in 5 replicates had a reduction in the plumule length as well as the root length depicting low tolerance to cold shock. The 1HAE, 3HAE, 6HAE, and 24HAE, setup with each having five 5 replicates showed germination after being removed from the cold shock into the Petri dishes but later reduced growth was observed in 1HAE, 24HAE,and 6HAE respectively even when moistened daily, the 3HAE setup showed increased radicle and plumule length which made that timing (3HAE) best for presoaking seeds in ice block before planting in other to get great productivity.