Effect of Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana gams) Seeds Colour and Size on their Germination

Four commercial seed lots from the Polish seed companies of pansy (Viola x wittrockiana Gams) with low germination capacity were sorted into 2 size fractions: small and large: below 4 mm long and above 4 mm and 3 colour fractions: yellow, brown and dark, using hands and colour catalogue of British Royal Horticultural Society. The seeds were then tested for their germination following the ISTA routine rules. The seed size did not affect neither its energy nor capacity of germination. In one of the seed lots, smaller seeds germinated slightly better than the big ones, but in the two others ones, it was opposite. The smaller seed also gave higher amount of abnormal seedlings in the tests. There was a clear effect of seed colour on the seeds’ germination. The dark seeds had the highest germination capacity, whereas the yellow ones – the lowest. The carried out experiments proved that color sorting of pansy seeds can improve their germination, mostly due to eliminating light, immature seeds.