SUMMARY This study was carried out in order to establish the best conditions for bottle gourd standard germination test, first counting day as well as the timing of the test. Constant temperatures of 25 °C and 30 °C and 20 - 30°C alternate combined with paper towell and sand as substracts were the treatments, being the paper towell wetted with destiled water in a proportion of 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 x its dry weight and the sand with 270ml for each 3 kg. Two hundred (4 x 50) seeds for each treatment and for each seeds lots coming from different regions of Santa Maria, RS were used. Daily records were made considereing the normal seedlings those with at least 10cm of total lenght for paper towell substract and those when the cotyledons rose completely free from the sand surface. The estimation of mean day germination (EDMG) and Baldwin germination energy (EGB) were applicated for first counting day, and speed germination of viable seeds index (IVGSV) as a complement of standard germination test. The results shows that: a) constant temperature of 30°C and substract wetting in the proportion of 2.5 o f water (ml) for paper dry weight, are the best conditions to standard germination test of bottle gourd seeds; b) the first day counting has to be done at fourth day after the beginning of the test and, total period requerest for the test is eight days, independly if sand or paper towell is used as a substract.
germination test; bottle gourd; Lagenaria siceraria
