title: [Effect of acid rain on seed germination of rice, wheat and rape].
abstract: Rice, wheat and rape seeds were treated with simulated acid rain at pH 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0 levels for 7 days in order to understand the effects of acid rain on seed germination of various acid-fast plant. The germination test showed that seed germination was absolutely inhibited at pH 2.0 for three species. Rice and wheat seeds germinated abnormally at pH 2.5. WhenpH values above 3.0, percentage germination, germination energy, germination index, vigor index of rice, wheat and rape seeds increased in relation with decreased acidity levels. In contrast, the percentage of abnormal germination of rice and wheat decreased. The experiment data about physiological aspect demonstrated that water absorption rate, respiratory rate and storage reserve transformation rate of rice, wheat and rape seeds also increased with increased pH values. The storage loss of rice and wheat increased with increased pH values but that of rape decreased. Inhibition index of shoot and root length of three kinds of seeds decreased in relation with increased pH values. The amplitude difference of index of rice was lower than that of wheat, and wheat was lower than that of rape. The experiment data showed that rice had stronger fastness than wheat and rape, wheat had stronger fastness than rape under acid rain stress.
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Southern Yangtze University, Wuxi 214036, China.
authors.forename: Qing-ling
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiao-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D015258:Acid Rain / Q000633:toxicity*; D029741:Brassica rapa / Q000254:growth & development*; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D012275:Oryza / Q000254:growth & development*; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D015258:Acid Rain