Studies on the Germination of Cereals: I. The Germination of Wheat Grains in the Ear during Development, Ripening, and After-ripening

The ability of individual grains to germinate in the ears ofa red and a white wheat variety has been determined at differentperiods after anthesis, and at different moisture contents,before the stage of full maturity. No grains germinated while active growth was taking place, butafter desiccation during ripening, 88·5 per cent. ofthe white grains and 7 per cent. of the red grains were ableto germinate in the ear; the percentage germination of the redgrains increased to 83 per cent., when further desiccation occurredduring the first 5 weeks of after-ripening, but some grainsin the basal spikelets of the ears of both varieties failedto germinate until they had been subjected to the same desiccationfrom 13 to 23 weeks after anthesis. The ability of the grains to germinate has been correlated withtheir desiccation at different stages during maturation, andthe effect of certain factors, which inhibit the germinationof immature grains, are discussed in relation to varietal differencesin the colour of the grains and their position in the ear.