The niger plant (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) is a herbaceous annual with a potential for biodiesel production but information on seed quality is scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the temperatures and substrates for seed germination and initial seedling development, besides characterizing niger seed and seedling morphology. One thousand seed weight, moisture content, weight, length, width and thickness of seeds were determined. The seed germination test was done at a constant temperature in continuous light (15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C) and with an alternating temperature (20-30 °C) with 10 h dark and 14 h of white light for the highest temperature and two substrates (on paper and between paper). The seed imbibitions curves germination percentage, germination speed index, mean germination time, seedling length and dry weight were determinated. The niger seeds had similar dimensions: 4.54 mm long, 1.39 mm wide, 1.15 mm thick and a mean weight of 0.0043 g. The 20-30 °C and 25 °C temperatures and the two substrates tested are suitable for the niger seed germination test.
Asteraceae; niger; seeds imbibitions; temperatures
