EFFECT OF GERMINATION METHODS ON SPROUT PRODUCTION AND ACTIVE INGREDIENT CONTENTS OF SOME CRUCIFEROUS CROPS

Abstract

The experimental work was carried out in the Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, during 2009-2011. Seeds of radish (Raphanus saltivus), rocket (Eruca sativa) and turnip (Brassica rapa ) were obtained from private seed stores-Cairo. Seeds of each crop were cleaned from all impurities. Uniform seeds size was used in sprouting on recommended medium mixture 1:1 v: v clay: vermiculate + 10% compost except of seeding media which used compared with rice straw, sponge and paper towel and also compared with clay in production in open field experiment with and without shading. In each experiment, radish seed soaked for 12 h before seeding while rocket and turnip were seeding dry. The obtained results were summarized as follow: Part one: Production experiment Four seeding media were used base in plastic tray to sprouting radish, rocket and turnip. These media are clay+ vermiculite with adding 10% compost, rice straw, sponge and paper kitchen towels. Seeds of radish, rocket and turnip were used at four seeding densities (50%, 37.5%, 25% and 12.5%) to evaluate the convenient seeding density. Radish, rocket and turnip were collected after 7, 9 and 11 intervals days old after germination. Recommended seed rates (60, 40 and 20g/m2) of radish, turnip and rocket, respectively were sown in open field in cement plot contained two kinds of media (clay soil or laboratory medium mixture (1:1 v: v clay: vermiculate + 10% compost)) each with or without shade with black plastic netting (theran). In the same time, the three crops were sown in laboratory on the same medium mixture. The following results were obtained: