THE EFFECTS OF HEAT TREATMENT ON THE GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SORGHUM (SORGHUM SP. L. MOENCH)

Sorghum is a tropical plant belonging to the Poacea family. In addition to being a human and animal food source, it is an important plant used in bioenergy production. Moreover, it is known to have a high adaptability to different environmental conditions. The present study investigated the effects of heat treatment at different temperatures (20ºC, 30ºC) on the germination and seedling growth of sorghum. The germination rate, germination index (GI), germination rate index (GRI), coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), mean germination time (MGT), seedling vigor index, root and shoot lengths(cm), seedling age and dry weight (mg), chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of sorghum were examined. The root and shoot lengths of the plant increased with increasing temperature. The highest chlorophyll content was obtained at 20ºC, while a decrease in all properties was observed at 30ºC. In conclusion, the results reveal that heat treatment at 30ºC positively affected the germination parameters in terms of the investigated properties.