Investigating The Germinating Behaviour Of Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.)

Abstract

Seed germination is the crucial stage in plant development process. It commences with water imbibition and culminates with radicle protrusion. This process has been observed to be occurred in sequential three phases, phase I with rapid water uptake followed by phase II (Plateau Phase) and phase III in which radicle extrusion takes place. Water imbibition during phase I triggers the sets of events that causes some physiological and biochemical changes in seeds as starch degradation by activation of hydrolytic enzymes etc that are strongly related to plumule and radicle growth. The present investigation aims to investigate the germinating behaviour of Chickpea (Cicer arientium L.) and biochemical alteration during the three phases of germination. Phase I is found to be from 0-20 hours, Phase II from 20-32 hours and Phase III after 32 hours. During germination, both starch and proteins were found to be degraded to provide the developing embryo with sugars and free amino acids respectively and the content of reducing sugars and total sugars were found to be increased. The result indicates that the reserve seed storage mobilisation may be helpful to proceed the seedling growth.