Differential water uptake kinetics in axes and cotyledons during seed germination of Vigna radiata under chilling temperature and cycloheximide treatment

water uptake kinetics of axes and cotyledons of vigna radiata seeds has been studied during incubation at chilling temperature (4°c) and under cycloheximide treatment. germination rate of scarified seeds was faster than intact seeds, which can be correlated with their comparative water uptake kinetics. chilling temperature during incubation significantly slowed down water uptake by both intact and scarified seeds. treatment with cycloheximide was also somewhat effective in retarding water uptake, but only in scarified seeds. water uptake by axes isolated from intact seeds (attached or detached from the cotyledons) was inhibited completely by chilling temperature as well as by cycloheximide treatment while these treatments were ineffective in preventing water uptake by cotyledons. in the case of scarified seeds, such treatments again inhibited water uptake by axes only, the effect being more prominent in attached ones. preincubation of intact seeds with cycloheximide for 6 h also inhibited water uptake by isolated axes, but not by cotyledons, during subsequent incubation in water.