The below mentioned article will highlight the factors affecting seed germination.
Some of the important factors are: (1) External factors such as water, oxygen and suitable temperature. (2) Internal factors such as seed dormancy due to internal conditions and its release.
I. External Factors:
(i) Water:
A dormant seed is generally dehydrated and contains hardly 6-15% water in its living cells. The active cells, however, require about 75-95% of water for carrying out their metabolism. Therefore, the dormant seeds must absorb external water to become active and show germination. Besides providing the necessary hydration for the vital activities of protoplasm, water softens the seed coats, causes their rupturing, increases permeability of seeds, and converts the insoluble food into soluble form for its translocation to the embryo. Water also brings in the dissolved oxygen for use by the growing embryo.
(ii) Oxygen:
Oxygen is necessary for respiration which releases the energy needed for growth. Germinating seeds respire very actively and need sufficient oxygen. The germinating seeds obtain this oxygen from the air contained in the soil. It is for this reason that most seeds sown deeper in the soil or in water-logged soils (i.e. oxygen deficient) often fail to germinate due to insufficient oxygen. Ploughing and hoeing aerate the soil and facilitate good germination.
(iii) Suitable Temperature:
Moderate warmth is necessary for the vital activities of protoplasm, and, therefore, for seed germination. Though germination can take place over a wide range of temperature (5-40°C), the optimum for most of the crop plants is around 25-30°C. The germination in most cases §tops at 0°C and 45°C.
II. Internal Factors:
(iv) Seed Dormancy Due to Internal Conditions and Its Release:
In some plants the embryo is not fully mature at the time of seed shedding. Such seeds do not germinate till the embryo attains maturity. The freshly shed seed in certain plants may not have sufficient amounts of growth hormones required for the growth of embryo. These seeds require some interval of time during which the hormones get synthesized.
The seeds of almost all the plants remain viable or living for a specific period of time. This viability period ranges from a few weeks to many years. Seeds of Lotus have the maximum viability period of 1000 years. Seeds germinate before the ending of their viability periods.
In many plants, the freshly shed seeds become dormant due to various reasons like the presence of hard, tough and impermeable seed coats, presence of growth inhibitors and the deficiency of sufficient amounts of food, minerals and enzymes, etc.