Effects of acidity and/or aluminum stress on seed germination and seedling growth of alfalfa

Alfalfa seeds(cv.Golden empress)were treated with acidic(pH 3.0,4.5,6.0,7.5)and aluminum(0,50,100,200mg/L Al 3+)solutions to study the effects of pH and Al 3+stresses on seed germination and seedling growth.The results showed that acidity significantly inhibited germination and seedling growth of alfalfa;lower pH had a greater effect than higher pH.Germination rate,germination potential,germination index,stem length and root length of untreated seeds(control)and seeds treated with 50mg/L Al 3+were significantly higher(P0.05)than all other treatments.Germination and seedling growth were seriously reduced by higher Al 3+treatments(100mg/L or 200mg/L)which resulted in a significant decrease in the growth index(P0.05).The combination of acidity and aluminum stress on germination and seedling growth of alfalfa were greater than those of either stress in isolation.Even the treatment of pH4.5and Al 3+50mg/L had a significant negative effect on seed germination and growth.