Substrate type and temperature on germination parameters of butterfly PEA

Abstract

Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) is a unique perennial and leguminous plant that produces brightly colored flowers that can be used as a pH-dependent natural food colorant in culinary and cosmetic preparations. Butterfly pea is commonly propagated from seed. Because of the increased interest in its commercial applications, effective production techniques are necessary to ensure consistent and successful commercial production. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of the substrate type and temperature on butterfly pea germination. Two substrate types (rockwool and commercial soilless substrate mix) and three temperatures (70, 80, and 90 °F) were evaluated to determine their effects on germination of butterfly pea seed. Collected and calculated germination data included germination capacity (G), mean germination time (MT), coefficient of variation of the germination time (CVt), mean germination rate (MR), uncertainty of the germination process (U), and synchrony of the germination process (Z). Differences were observed among substrate temperatures for the MT,CVt, and MR values, with germination greater at both 70 and 80 °F than at 90 °F. Similarly, significant differences among substrate types were observed for the G, MT,CVt, and MR values, with germination of seeds in rockwool outperforming seeds in soilless substrate mix. Because of the high priority for successful and uniform germination in commercial plant production operations, the results suggest that commercial germination of butterfly pea would be best in rockwool at 70 °F. Results of this study can be used for the commercial production of butterfly pea, for which propagation from seed is the primary means of plant production.