Response of cottonseed to direct-current glow discharge

This study was conducted to determine the effects of direct-current glow-discharge treatment, current intensity, exposure time, and energy generated during treatment on the early and total germination of Empire WR cottonseed. Germination counts were made at 2, 3, 4, 7, and 12 days. Three-minute glow-discharge treatments at 30-150 milliamperes and 6-minute treatments at 30-95 milliamperes significantly improved early germination. Current intensities of 100-150 milliamperes for 6 minutes decreased both early and total germination. Multiple regression was calculated using germination as the dependent variable and energy, energy², seed temperature, seed temperature², moisture loss during treatment, and moisture loss² as the independent variables. In this regression the coefficient of determination for energy and energy² accounted for 91 percent of the variability in early germination and 92 percent of the variability in total germination.