Laboratory and field experiments were conducted at the Laboratory of Seed Technol. Research Unit, Mansoura and El-Serw Experimental Farm Station Damietta Governorate, during the seasons of 2014 and 2015.
The variation in percentage germination of seed teosinte was found to be a function of dormancy breaking treatments even in genetically uniform seed lots. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the effect of pre-sowing treatments on breaking dormancy of the three colour degrees), of teosinte seed i.e. (white, cream and mixed between them) and subsequent improving its germination, seedling vigor, field emergence and crop yield. The results revealed that Seed germination and seedling vigor traits were found to be related to seed colour where seeds of cream colour showed high germination and produced vigorous seedling as compared with white and mixture of the two colours. Manual scarification improved seed germination and seedling vigor traits, while GA3, sulfuric acid, prechilling, dry heat treatments improved to some extent these traits. The results of this study suggested using cream seeds treated with manual scarification or GA3 to get high yield of teosinte. Moreover, white seeds can be stored under open-air conditions and be used as carry over seeds or sowing white seed early in the growing season to its break dormancy.