SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, cilt.26, sa.2, ss.281-288, 1998 (SCI-Expanded)
The effects of seed moisture (8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18%) on field emergence, (3 sowing dates in two years), seedling dry weight electrical conductivity in two different coloured cultivars (red: 4F-89, white: Yalova-5) of Phaseolus vulgaris were investigated. Increasing seed moisture up to 14-16% improved emergence, while seedling dry weight continued to increase until 18%. Both varieties gave a similar response to moisture content although the white coated cultivar performed worse than red one in all criteria. In both years, higher seedling dry weight was associated with increased seed moisture and mean time to emerge. At 8% of seed moisture content, hardseededness contributed failure of emergence in red coloured one. Soil temperatures above 13.5 degrees C did not affect emergence and seedling growth.