International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 267-278 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 270 performance. For growth analysis, five seedlings were randomly selected from each replication at 10, 20, and 30 days after sowing (DAS). These selected seedlings were carefully uprooted and examined to measure key growth parameters. This approach enabled a detailed assessment of seedling development over time, providing valuable insights into their growth dynamics under different growing media conditions. 2.4 Germination variables The study was designed to evaluate several germination traits, such as the proportion of seeds that germinate, speed, energy, and vigour index. The germination percentage reflects the portion of viable seeds that thrive and develop into plants under optimal growing conditions. Meanwhile, germination energy assesses the percentage of seeds sprouting within a specific time frame in a given sample, and germination speed indicates how quickly seeds successfully germinate within a set timeframe. Conversely, the vigour index represents the totality of a seed's characteristics that impact its ability to function and be active throughout germination and emergence. We used the exact formulae provided by (Mehata et al., 2024) to determine these germination parameters. The formulas are found in Equations (1), (2), (3), and (4), in that order. A thorough assessment of the germination properties was made possible by this methodical technique, which also offered an organised framework for interpreting the experimental results. 퐺푒푟푚푖� 푖吾� 푃푒푟푐푒� 푒 퐺% =푁푇 푢吾 푚 푒�푟푢 吾푚 푠푒 푒푟 푒吾 푠푒푒푟푒푚 푖 푠� 吾 푒� × 100% (1) 퐺푒푟푚푖� 푖吾� 푆푝푒푒 퐺푆 =푁푢푚 푒푟 吾 푠푒푒 푒푟푚푖� 푒 푖� 72ℎ吾푢푟푠 푁푢푚 푒푟 吾 푠푒푒 푒푟푚푖� 푒 푖�168ℎ吾푢푟푠×100 (2) 퐺푒푟푚푖� 푖吾� 퐸�푒푟 퐺퐸 =푝푒푟푐푒� 푒 吾 푠푒푒 푒푟푚푖� 푒 푖� 72ℎ吾푢푟푠 (3) 푆푒푒 푉푖 吾푟 퐼� 푒 푉퐼 =퐺푒푟푚푖� 푖吾� 푝푒푟푐푒� 푒 %× 푆푒푒 푖� 푒� ℎ (푐푚) (4) 2.5 Growth indicators The growth parameters of tomato seedlings were assessed by measuring root and shoot lengths using a scale. At 10, 20, and 30 DAS, five randomly selected seedlings were taken from germination chamber and measured their root and shoot length. Furthermore, electronic weighing equipment was used to ascertain the fresh weight of five seedlings. An additional set of five seedlings underwent the air-dry procedure to determine their dry weight. This comprehensive approach provided insights into the dynamic growth of tomato seedlings, encompassing both physical dimensions and weight characteristics at different stages of their development. 2.6 Statistical analysis The raw data were initially organized and tabulated using Microsoft Excel, followed by detailed statistical analysis performed in RStudio (version 4.2.3). Data normality was examined using IBM SPSS Statistics to ensure compliance with parametric assumptions. For mean separation, both Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) and the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test were conducted at a 5% significance level. Prior to statistical evaluation, arcsine transformation was applied to germination speed and germination energy data, while germination percentage values were transformed using the logit function to stabilize variance and meet the assumptions of normality and homogeneity. 3 Results and Analysis 3.1 Effect of different growing media on germination parameters The effect of different growing media had a significant influence on the germination of tomato seeds (Table 2). Variations in germination percentage, speed, germination energy, and vigor index were observed across the treatments, indicating that the choice of growing medium plays a crucial role in optimizing seed germination and early seedling establishment.
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