Effect of irrigation of mother plants on reproductive characteristics of the species Lotus corniculatus L.

In the current study we investigated the effect of irrigation of mother plants on some reproductive characteristics of the species Lotus corniculatus L. Mother plants that were not irrigated produced a smaller number of seeds per pod, compared to irrigated plants, without, however, showing significant differences in the mean seed weight. Seeds of both categories of plants achieved significantly higher germination percentages, after chemical scarification with sulfuric acid, compared to the control. There were not significant differences, both in germination and in the mean time of plantlets emergence, between the two seed categories. However, significant differences in the conductivity test were observed, in which the seeds of irrigated plants achieved higher values. Seeds of irrigated plants had significantly higher germination percentages in the field compared to the non irrigated ones. Nevertheless, there were not significant differences in the plantlets survival between the plantlets produced from the two seed categories, while significant differences, both in above and below ground biomass of the plantlets produced from the two seed categories were observed.