Time, Temperature and Germination of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum typhoides S. & H.): II. ALTERNATING TEMPERATURE

Methods of analysing the response of germination to constanttemperature are extended to alternating temperatures. The analysisis illustrated for seeds of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoidesS. & H.) germinated on a thermal gradient plate in pairsof alternating temperatures ranging from 15?C to 47?C. Alternatingtemperatures had a small but systematic effect on germinationrate such that below 42 ?C, alternations in temperature hadno effect on the maximum fraction of seeds which germinatedin the population, but increases in temperature amplitude fromzero to ?8 ?C caused a small but systematic increase in therate of germination.