Effect of Controlled Hydration on Germination of Tobacco Seeds

Controlled hydration treatment of tobacco seeds enhanced seed performance greatly without additional materials associated with conventional osmotic or solid matrix priming technique. The seeds were hydrated by adding water to a level from 10 to 60% by 5% increments and incubated for 8 days at $25^{\circ}C$. After the treatment, the seeds were dried to the original seed moisture content under $20^{\circ}C$ for 72 hours. The moisture content of tobacco seeds equivalent to 35% by the hydration treatment gave the greatest improvement in germination rate and speed compared to untreated or polyethylene glycol (PEG) primed seeds, especially at low temperature of $15^{\circ}C$.