Germinability of Film-Coated Snap Bean Seed as Affected by Oxygen Diffusion Rate under Different Soil Moisture Contents

The film coated snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds with five different coating materials treated with 3% increase in seed weight were planted at sandy loam soil controlled moisture content of 18, 19, 20 and 21 %. The oxygen diffusion rate (ODR) was calculated from the different moisture content soil. The number of normal seedlings, seedling vigor, and seedling capability in field (seed vigor x dry matter weight) were observed at 9 days after planting and compared to the changes of ODR. The germination rate and ODR were sharply decreased simultaneously in the seeds planted at 21 % soil moisture content. Seedling emergence did not occur at all as the soil moisture content increased above 22 %. Hence this value should be considered as the threshold of soil moisture content for seedling emergence. An ODR value under 20% did not influence the percent emergence significantly. The certain difference observing in the emergence at the same ODR was not related clearly to the condition of soil. So it can be assumed that the limit of soil moisture content for the emergence of snap bean was approximately 20%. The value of 18% soil moisture content may be considered as the optimum for snap bean emergence. There was close relationship between the mean value of ODR in different soil moisture contents and the emergence. The germination rates of the seeds coated with the different materials were quite different when the seeds were planted at 21 % soil moisture. Dry weight of the seedlings from film coated seeds was decreased slightly, but the germination rates were not much different from the non-treated control under relatively higher soil moisture content (21 %). Major factor lowering emergence rate was oxygen stress while film coating act as a minor constraint for snap bean sown in excess soil moisture condition.