BIOL120
Assignment 1: Practical Report
THE GERMINATION RESPONSE OF BARLEY AND MAIZE TO TEMPERATURE

Practical Report ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted with the aim of observing the temperature required for the optimal germination of barley and maize. Given that barley and maize embryos are known for germinating in autumn and summer respectively it was to be expected that maize would have a higher threshold to temperature than barley. To investigate this, samples of both maize and barley embryos were subjected to different temperatures. The results supported the hypothesis. Barley had a maximum germination of 98.2 percent (%) at 25 degrees Celsius (⁰C) and maize had a maximum germination of 98.5% at 25⁰C. Conversely the evidence that supports the hypothesis is that barley had its best chance of germination between 20 and 25⁰C and Maize between 25 and 35⁰C. The accounted problem with the experiment was the number of limitations that could have occurred. Some of limitations being the small amount of germinated embryos counted and possibly having unfertile embryo(s).

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Practical Report INTRODUCTION Seed dormancy is a term for the process of seeds having the ability to delay germination until conditions are ideal for them. (Campbell, Reece and Meyers 2009 pg, 820) discuss the process of dormancy as a condition of where the seed have an extremely low metabolic rate and suspension of growth and development. The requirement for specific cues to break seed dormancy increases the chances that germination will occur at a certain season most advantageous to the seedling. Seeds detect the most beneficial season for them to germinate by using photoperiod. Photoperiod is essentially using the lengths of night and day to tell what time of year it is. (Campbell et al. 2009). Barley and maize are seasonal crops therefore it is expected that each seed would have a