Viabilité et développement végétatif des plantules de piment (Capsicum annuum L.) suivant différents matériels de conditionnement des semences

Germination and Seedling Development from Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Seeds following Storage in Different Packaging Materials. A study on the germination and seedling development from pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds following storage in different packaging materials was carried out at the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Njombe Multipurpose Research Station in Cameroon. Germination tests were conducted at 30 days intervals during 24 weeks of seed conservation in the laboratory at ambient temperature. Seeds were prepared from 4 pepper varieties (Safi, Big sun, Thailande and Local) and stored in 5 packaging materials (glass vial, plastic vial, laminated aluminium foil packet, paper and plastic envelope). The experiment was laid out in a 4 x 5 factorial design (4 varieties of pepper x 5 packaging materials) making 20 treatments in 5 replications. At each germination test, germinated seeds were counted everyday during 15 days. To estimate seedling development, 5 seedlings from each pepper variety issued from each packaging material was grown during each germination test in a polythene bag filled with local topsoil. Each sample was repeated 10 times. Thirty days after sowing, observations were made on seedling development parameters. The results obtained show that germination rate is higher immediately after seed preparation for all pepper varieties. Thereafter germination rate declines slowly when seeds are stored in laminated aluminium foil packets and rapidly when they are stored in paper and polythene envelopes. The other packaging materials occupy intermediary positions. Also, seedlings issued from seeds stored in laminated aluminium foil packets are more vigorous than those issued from seeds stored in paper and polythene envelopes during seed conservation period (6 months). The rapid loss of viability in pepper seeds stored in the two last packaging materials could be attributed to their permeability to air and humidity which accelerates seed ageing and deterioration.