Experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions to determine relationships between weed seed germination and electrical conductivity (EC). Recently-picked seeds of Euphorbia heterophylla, Acanthospermum hispidum, Ipomoea grandifolia, Sida rhombifolia, Bidens pilosa and Commelina benghalensis were used. The seeds were soaked in water for periods of six up to 48 hours, at 20 ºC, to determine EC and water absorption levels and placed to germinate. The highest germination levels, for seeds soaked in water for 24 h, were obtained for B. pilosa(88%), E. heterophylla and S. rhombifolia (30%) and the lowest levels were obtained for I. grandifolia (5%), A. hispidum (4%) and C. benghalensis (3%). The weeds tested tend to germinate totally with a soaking periods > six hours, while water absorption tends to increase with CE tending not to accompany absorption levels at the end of longer periods. Further studies must be conducted on the use of electrical conductivity, what may provide an effective and faster evaluation of the dynamics of weed seed banks under a farming system.
Euphorbia heterophylla; Acanthospermum hispidum; Ipomoea grandifolia; Sida rhombifolia; Bidens pilosa; Commelina benghalensis
