Seeds of burcucumber were treated with accelerated aging, cold-stratification, and light quality illuminated during desiccation to enhance their germination and seedling emergence. The germination was increased by aging and cold-stratification although the latter treatment showed greater effectiveness than the former one. In the combined treatment of aging 6 days at 45~circC and cold-stratification, the germination was promoted under longer period of cold-stratification to reach nearly 100% in 3 week cold-stratification on the ninth day from sowing. In the sequentially combined treatment of aging, cold-stratification, and light quality during 24 hour desiccation at 35~circC , no-stratified seeds showed the highest rate in red light treatment but the lowest in far-red light. This implies that the phytochrome action run during the desiccation of imbibed seeds. The red light exposure during drying for the cold-stratified seeds after aging accelerated the germination even more than the dark treatment and germinated 100% on the next day of sowing. It is concluded that the sequential treatment of aging, cold-stratification, and red light illumination during desiccation can highly promote percentage and speed of burcucumber seed germination.

• Jin Ho Kang
• Byong Sam Jeon
• Sang Woo Lee
• Zhin Ryong Choe
• Sang In Shim