Farmers are risk takers. They have to be with the weather, crop prices, crop input costs, and so many things out of their control. Weather is a big one; every year, our farmers rely on rainfall, sunshine, drying conditions, and so many other weather factors that can make a huge difference in their crops from one year to the next.
This year, the month of March was great, but April and early May came with wet and cool conditions, which pushed planting back. Over the past few weeks, and for the next number of weeks, our Chatham-Kent producers will be getting their crops in the ground.
We are blessed to be able to grow many food crops such as tomatoes, carrots, peppers, tobacco, Brussel sprouts, sugar beets, corn, green and wax beans, peas, soybeans, and more. In fact, we have over 70 crops we grow here in Chatham-Kent. So how do these various crops get their start? This week, let’s look at the process of germination.
Germination is the growth of a plant contained within a seed, resulting in the formation of the seedling. Most seeds go through a period of dormancy where there is no active growth. During this time the seed can be safely transported to a new location and/or survive adverse climatic conditions until it is favorable for growth. The seed contains an embryo and in most plants stored food reserves wrapped in a seed coat. Under favourable conditions, the seed begins to germinate, and the embryonic tissues resume growth, developing towards a seedling.
The germination of seeds is dependent on many conditions, including temperature, water, and oxygen.
Water in germination is the stimulus in order for the process to begin. Most seeds respond best when there is enough water to moisten the seeds but not soak them. The uptake of water by seeds is called imbibition which leads to the swelling and the breaking of the seed coat. When seeds are formed, most plants store food, such as starch, proteins, or oils, to provide nourishment to the growing embryo inside the seed. Once the seedling starts growing and the food reserves are exhausted, it requires a continuous supply of water, nutrients, and light for photosynthesis, which now provides the energy needed for continued growth.
Oxygen is required by the germinating seed for metabolism, the process that allows organisms to grow and reproduce. If the soil is waterlogged or the seed is buried within the soil, it might be cut off from the necessary oxygen it needs. Oxygen is required by the seed to generate energy until the plant has leaves, at which point it receives energy through photosynthesis, which is the conversion of the sun’s energy into chemical energy for use by the plant.
Temperature affects the cells growth rates. Often, seeds have a set of temperature ranges where they will germinate and will not do so above or below this range. Some seeds cannot germinate until they experience cooler temperatures. Some seeds will only germinate when temperatures reach hundreds of degrees, as during a forest fire.
In agriculture, germination rate is the number of seeds of a particular plant species, variety or particular seed lot that are likely to germinate. This is usually expressed as a percentage. An 85 per cent germination rate indicates that about 85 out of 100 seeds will likely germinate under proper conditions. Germination rate is useful in calculating seed requirements for a given area or desired number of plants.
When you are out traveling the countryside of Chatham-Kent this summer and see our various crops growing, stop and be amazed at this entire process of growth from a seed.
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Think about this – God’s Word, the Bible, is a compass that keeps us on course.
Just some food for thought.
Remember that here in Chatham-Kent ‘We Grow for the World’. Check out our community’s agricultural website at: www.wegrowfortheworld.com
Kim Cooper has been involved in the agribusiness sector for over 40 years. He can be reached at: kim.e.cooper@gmail.com
You can also follow him on Twitter at ‘theAGguy’
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