The effects of day temperatures and soil moisture levels on the germination parameters of Cleome gynandra (L.)

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Chekure Nneka Grace, K Mutsengi, N Mafuse, Sukati BH, Mabuza MP, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7121217/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Cleome gynandra (L.), an orphan crop is generally well adapted to tropical and sub-tropical conditions. It is drought tolerant and resilient annual vegetable crop capable of growing well in diverse conditions. However, there exists gaps in known information about the crop on its germination biology which is important if the crop is to be adopted for commercial production. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of soil moisture and temperatures on the germination parameters of C. gynandra . The experiment was a 4*3 factorial experiment laid down as a randomised complete block design replicated three times and done twice over time. Data collected included germination percentage, mean daily germination and germination speed. The data was analysed using the Genstat version 18. The results showed that a significantly (P < 0.05) higher germination percentage was obtained on day 14 at 100% soil moisture content. Germination percentage significantly (P < 0.05) increased from 25% soil moisture content to a maximum of 60% at 100% moisture content on day 14 with a correlation of R 2 = 0.87 to 0.96 which shows the closeness of the relationship at day 7 to day 14. In terms of the temperature requirements for germination, 30 o C gave the highest germination speed (P < 0.05). The trend was the same for all germination parameters that included mean germination time, mean daily germination, germination percentage and speed of germination. It can therefore be concluded that 100% moisture content and 30 o C gave the most suitable conditions for C. gynandra germination. This study implies that the same conditions can be used during nursery establishment. Cleome gynandra climate resilience germination biology temperature moisture Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Key Points • Identify the importance of Cleome gynandra as an important climate resilient vegetable • Assessing the factors affecting the germination of Cleome gynandra seeds with a view on commercialisation • Results can guide nursery establishment for the crop in the future Introduction Cleome gynandra is highly valued for its edible leaves and medicinal properties and is native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where it is recognized by various local names [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. It exhibits remarkable adaptability, thriving in disturbed areas, along roadsides, and in cultivated fields. This versatility contributes to its classification as a weed in certain environments. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is found in several countries, including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Eswatini, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. The same countries are located in the climate ‘hotspot’ in southern Africa hence the possibility of the crop to be exploited for food and nutrition security. Cleome gynandra is gaining recognition as a promising leafy vegetable, particularly suited for tropical and subtropical climates where it thrives naturally. Its potential for development as a significant crop is especially pertinent in the context of food security for rural communities in Africa [ 8 ]. The plant serves multiple roles, including providing food, medicinal applications, animal feed, and even functioning as a plant protectant [ 9 ]. A search of Genesys, the Global Information Portal for Plant Genetic Resources, which only covers around a third of crop accessions conserved ex situ in gene banks worldwide, found at total of 331 C. gynandra accessions, the vast majority stored at the AVRDC World Vegetable Center, with most of the rest at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK. They are mostly African in origin, but a large number originate from South East Asian countries. There are also accessions listed under the synonyms Gynandropsis gynandra and G. pentaphylla . In addition, collections are maintained across Africa in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. According to Mashamaite et al.,[ 10 ] the crop is a drought tolerant and resilient annual vegetable crop capable of growing well in a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Mabhaudhi et al., [ 11 ] further asserts that the crop can thrive with little human support and this illustrates its potential as a future crop in the changed climate. The crop can thrive in fragile and marginal conditions especially in degraded lands [ 12 ]. The crop is a rich source of nutrients comprising of proteins, vitamins (A and C) and minerals calcium, iron, sodium, iodine, zinc and they are found in quantities greater than conventional vegetables [ 13 , 14 ]. Actually, the effective utilisation of wild vegetables such as C. gynandra has been proposed as an alternative solution to address the problem of dietary deficiencies especially micronutrient deficiencies which come from the overdependence on the conventional vegetables. Despite the potential benefits of C. gynandra , its development as a crop has been impeded by low research, low yields, poor seed quality [ 10 ] and the limited understanding of its germination biology which can optimise its production in the nursery. C. gynandra enter physiological dormancy for 4–5 months after harvest and only germinate from six months after harvest [ 15 ]. Kwarteng et al.,[ 16 ] asserts that the germination process is integral to its domestication as reduced germination leads to reduced crop establishment and low yields. According to Raboteaux and Anderson [ 17 ], the seeds of C. gynandra are negatively photoblastic and exposure to light for longer periods of 12 hours reduces germination due to photo-inhibition. Research by Ochuodo and Modi [ 18 ] investigated the effect of temperature, light and pre-germination treatments on C. gynandra seed and the results showed that alternating temperatures of 20–30 o C under dark conditions produced the highest germination. Actually, Ochuodho and Modi [ 18 ] found that the highest germination percentages 60 and 80% occur for a 2-year-old and 1 year-old seedlots respectively of untreated seed was achieved under temperatures of 20–30 o C in the dark or constant 30 o C in the dark were used. Germination is a critical stage in the life cycle of plants and controls the population dynamics. The germination and early establishment of Cleome gynandra are crucial for the successful cultivation of this valuable leafy vegetable, particularly in regions like Southern Africa, where it is an important food source. However, various environmental factors, such as temperature, and moisture, significantly influence these processes. This lack of knowledge poses a challenge for farmers seeking to optimize production conditions, leading to inconsistent crop yields and potentially affecting food security. Therefore, investigating the effects of temperature, and moisture on the germination parameters of C. gynandra seeds provides critical insights that can inform cultivation practices and enhance agricultural productivity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the influence of temperature and moisture levels on the germination and early growth of C. gynandra seedlings. Methodology Site description This research study was conducted at Bindura University of Science Education Campus located 1 Km south of Bindura town along Trojan Road. It is located in natural region 2a according to the Zimbabwean classification system. The region receives 700–1050mm per year received in summer. The altitude is 1400m. Source of planting material The seeds were obtained from plants maintained at a garden at Astra campus of the Bindura University of Science Education. The coordinates are 17 0 18'58.7''S 31 o 19'25.1''E. This is a commonly consumed wild vegetable in Southern Africa. Experimental Design and treatments The experiment was set up as a 4*3 factorial experiment laid down as a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The experiment was also repeated twice over time. The first factor was soil moisture content at four levels: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of field capacity represented by M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and M 4 respectively. The second factor was temperature at three levels: 20 o C, 30 o C and 35 o C represented by T 1 , T 2 and T 3 respectively. The treatments are as shown in Table 1 . Table 1 Treatment combinations and descriptions Treatment combination Description T 1 M 1 Germination at 20 o c and 25% soil moisture content T 1 M 2 Germination at 20 o C and 50% soil moisture content T 1 M 3 Germination at 20 o C and 75% soil moisture content T 1 M 4 Germination at 20 o C and 100% soil moisture content T 2 M 1 Germination at 30 o C and 25% soil moisture content T 2 M 2 Germination at 30 o C and 50% soil moisture content T 2 M 3 Germination at 30 o C and 75% soil moisture content T 2 M 4 Germination at 30 o C and 100% soil moisture content T 3 M 1 Germination at 35 o C and 25% soil moisture content T 3 M 2 Germination at 35 o C and 50% soil moisture content T 3 M 3 Germination at 35 o C and 75% soil moisture content T 3 M 4 Germination at 35 o C and 100% soil moisture content Agronomic management The soil used in the experiment was dried for 24 hours to get rid of the water and was used to fill the pots. Each pot was filled with 1200g of soil. Each pot had three drainage holes at the bottom to facilitate free drainage. The pH of the soil was 4.8 which is acidic and representative of soils in most small-scale rural farms of Zimbabwe where the crop is cultivated. Determination of field capacity Field capacity is the amount of soil moisture or water content after excess water has drained away and the rate of downward movement has materially decreased and takes place in 2–3 days after watering or rain. For determination of percentage field capacity in this experiment it was calculated by the following formulae: FC = Vw/Vs *100 Where FC is the field capacity; Vw is the volume of water held in the soil after drainage in m 3 and Vs is the total volume of soil (m 3 ). The various percentages were determined from the 100% moisture content calculated using the above method. The seeds were watered after every five days. There were four different treatments of moisture, thus 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, each replicated thrice under different environmental conditions. A watering can with a fine rose was used to irrigate the pots after the amount of irrigation water was measured in a measuring cylinder. Planting The C. gynandra seeds were counted and packed into sachets. Each sachet contained 30 seeds. The C. gynandra seeds were directly sown at 30 seeds per pot. They were spread evenly within each pot. The seeds were provided with irrigation of different amounts of water. Data Collection Data collected included germination percentage, germination speed, mean germination time, mean daily germination, peak value and chlorophyll. Analysis of variance was done using Genstat and where there were significant differences, the means were separated using the least significant differences at 0.05 probability level. Speed of germination Speed of germination was calculated by the following formula: Speed of germination = n1/d1 + n2/d2 + n3/d3+---------- Where, n = number of germinated seeds, d = number of days. Mean germination Time (MGT) MGT = Σn.D / Σn where n = number of seeds newly germinated at time D; D = days from the beginning of the germination test, Σn = final germination. Mean daily germination (MDG) Mean daily germination can be calculated by the following formula: MDG = Total number of germinated seeds/ Total number of days Results and Discussion Seed germination is affected by the ecological conditions prevailing in the habitat, it depends on several environmental conditions such as light, temperature, moisture and germination media. For C. gynandra seeds it is known that they are negatively photoblastic and meaningful germinations will be realized after six months from harvest when dormancy will be broken. The results showed that maximum germination of C. gynandra was achieved at day 14 at 100% moisture content reaching a maximum of about 55% germination percentage (Fig. 1 ). Germination percentage increased with increase in soil moisture content across all the measured period with correlation coefficients of about 0.9 (R 2 = 0.9) (Fig. 1 ). The reason for the trend could have been the fact that seed germination is extremely sensitive to drought stress and that sufficient water is necessary for seeds to break dormancy and develop from heterotrophic immature embryos to autotrophic seedlings [ 18 , 20 ]. According to Bita and Gerats [ 21 ] and Goldack et al.,[ 22 ] abiotic conditions such as drought inhibit germination. Actually, according to Sousaraei et al., [ 23 ] and Soltani et al., [ 24 ], the water cue is able to control the timing of germination 0f all seeds through the requirement for base water potential for germination. This implies that for successful C. gynandra cultivation there is need to keep moisture content high nearing 100% to get the maximum seed germination. The results also showed a significant interaction effects (P < 0.05) of soil moisture and temperature on the germination percentage of C. gynandra seeds. The results showed that at 100% moisture, a temperature of 30 o C resulted in the greatest germination while the least was at 25% moisture (Fig. 2 ). It is critical to understand that germination occurs when the temperature requirement for germination overlaps with habitat temperature [ 25 , 26 ]. Speed of germination The speed of germination was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 100% moisture content across all the measured period from seven days, 10 and 14 days after planting (Fig. 3 ) with correlation coefficients of R 2 values of 0.94, 0.97 and 0.96 respectively. A significant interaction (P < 0.05) of moisture content and temperature on the speed of germination revealed that a temperature of 30 o C gave significantly higher (P < 0.05) germination speed at 75 and 100% moisture content compared to 25 and 35 o C while there were no significant differences and 25 and 50 o C (Fig. 4 ). Germination speed is a measure of the rate of germination in terms of the total number of seeds that germinate in a time interval. Therefore, water supply had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the number of C. gynandra seeds that germinated per unit time. This corroborates with Dewley and Black, [ 27 ] and Ozden et al.,[ 28 ] that water hydrates the crucial processes of the protoplasm, supplies dissolved oxygen, softens the seed’s outer layers and improves seed permeability. Therefore, for maximum germination speed, the soil moisture is supposed to be kept at 100% of field capacity. Mean daily germination The mean daily germination was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by soil moisture content and it increased as soil moisture increased (Fig. 5 ) with a correlation coefficient of R 2 = 0.867 signifying a closer relationship between the two. The results also showed a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between temperature and soil moisture on mean daily germination (Fig. 6 ). A temperature of 30 o C gave significantly (P < 0.05) higher mean daily germination at 50, 75 and 100% moisture content. No differences were observed at 25 o C. According to Soltani et al.,[ 24 ] mean daily germination is the measure of the time it takes for the seed to germinate focussing on the day on which most seeds germinated. Moisture remains key to all germination parameters. Water stress decreases mean daily germination [ 29 , 30 ]. Water is vital for seed enzyme activation, breakdown, translocation and endospermic stored materials [ 31 ]. The greater the degree of moisture stress, the greater the decline in the levels of these parameters. The results also show how temperature is critical in regulating germination duration [ 32 , 33 ]. Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded from this study that a temperature of 30o o C and a moisture level of 100% improved all the measured germination parameters which included germination percentage, speed of germination and mean daily germination. The parameters are of paramount importance when establishing a nursery for commercial crop production. In addition to the already available knowledge on seed germination which included that seed of C. gynandra are negatively photoblastic and that dormancy ends at six months after harvest, it can therefore be ascertained that it is feasible to produce the seedlings under nursery as long as appropriate conditions are provided in the nursery to maximise germination. This may enable farmers who may want to go into commercial production of the crop to do so profitably. Declarations Acknowledgements We thank Bindura University of Science Education for providing the site for carrying out the experiment. Author Contribution Nneka Chekure, Mutsengi Kufa and Mafuse Never conceptualised the project, designed it and carried the trials. Mandumbu Ronald wrote the first draft of the article. Sukati BH, Mabuza MP and Simelane VB reviewed and revised the manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests Compliance to IUCN Policy Statement This research was done according to the IUCN policy statement on research involving species at risk of extinction with special reference to scientific collection of threatened species as approved in 1989. Consent for publication All authors read the manuscript and approved it for submission and publication. Clinical trial Not applicable Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable Competing interests The authors declare that they have no known competing interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Funding There was no external funding for this research Data availability All data generated are reported in the manuscript. However original data are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. References Bala A, Kar B, Haldar PK, Mazumder UK, Bera S. Evaluation of anticancer activity of Cleome gynandra on ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma treated mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;129:131–4. 10.1016/j.jep.2010.03.010 . Munene AK, Nzuve F, Ambuko J, Odeny D. Heritability analysis and phenotypical characterisation of spider plant (Cleome gynandra l.) for yield. Adv Agric. 2018;8568424. 10.1155/2018/8568424 . Shilla O, Dinsa FF, Omondi EO, Winkelman T, Abukutsa-Onyango MO. 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Differences in germination response to temperature, salinity, and water potential among Prosopis laevigata populations are guided by the tolerance exploitation trade-off. Flora. 2021;285:151963. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7121217","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":522208197,"identity":"04075cf6-331f-480e-9d2a-d8d4c781a565","order_by":0,"name":"Chekure Nneka Grace","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bindura University of Science Education","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chekure","middleName":"Nneka","lastName":"Grace","suffix":""},{"id":522208198,"identity":"a1164a3b-6efd-44d9-a270-233f15233bf5","order_by":1,"name":"K Mutsengi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bindura University of Science 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17:51:13","extension":"html","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":92015,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/1b62d5bb156759dbe12bee45.html"},{"id":92537651,"identity":"7480901a-63b2-4118-87cc-132e80461630","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:51:13","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":34657,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of various soil moisture content on the germination percentage of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e on days 7, 10 and 14 after planting.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/90993d5f50558030017a26b5.png"},{"id":92538392,"identity":"bc76ad99-613b-463e-8b40-cf09a3f364e8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:59:13","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":14619,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInteraction effects of temperature and soil moisture percentage on the germination percentage of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/44d477b1f546f5746b2285f3.png"},{"id":92537653,"identity":"791648cd-87f9-4656-ae80-5b36065b550c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:51:13","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":35449,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe relationship between soil moisture content and speed of germination of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e at 7, 10 and 14 days after planting\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/e43505af3fc47fcf07b02a79.png"},{"id":92537657,"identity":"b2f6b8f5-25a2-4421-a594-8a01c364c66c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:51:13","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":13404,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe interaction effects of soil moisture content and speed of germination at 25, 30 and 35\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC temperature\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/a8529aad02f2f344b10d9738.png"},{"id":92537655,"identity":"af9f1f62-3809-411e-9ed0-2a7c172313fb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:51:13","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":19416,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe relationship between mean daily germination and soil moisture level\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/7de78f79f7ac27b56b306190.png"},{"id":92538393,"identity":"86d551dd-6613-49c7-97b0-7c91a8605f7d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 17:59:13","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":12986,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInteraction effects of soil moisture and temperature on mean daily germination\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/7fc552a272e236ff6d8b62e2.png"},{"id":104792044,"identity":"d5717ee5-68ec-45cd-8278-d5f804faa234","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 08:43:18","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":738291,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7121217/v1/3551f1c4-9385-4b65-825a-ee169a4d52ff.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The effects of day temperatures and soil moisture levels on the germination parameters of Cleome gynandra (L.)","fulltext":[{"header":"Key Points","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Identify the importance of Cleome gynandra as an important climate resilient vegetable\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Assessing the factors affecting the germination of Cleome gynandra seeds with a view on commercialisation\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Results can guide nursery establishment for the crop in the future\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCleome gynandra\u003c/em\u003e is highly valued for its edible leaves and medicinal properties and is native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where it is recognized by various local names [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. It exhibits remarkable adaptability, thriving in disturbed areas, along roadsides, and in cultivated fields. This versatility contributes to its classification as a weed in certain environments. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is found in several countries, including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Eswatini, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. The same countries are located in the climate \u0026lsquo;hotspot\u0026rsquo; in southern Africa hence the possibility of the crop to be exploited for food and nutrition security. \u003cem\u003eCleome gynandra\u003c/em\u003e is gaining recognition as a promising leafy vegetable, particularly suited for tropical and subtropical climates where it thrives naturally. Its potential for development as a significant crop is especially pertinent in the context of food security for rural communities in Africa [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. The plant serves multiple roles, including providing food, medicinal applications, animal feed, and even functioning as a plant protectant [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA search of Genesys, the Global Information Portal for Plant Genetic Resources, which only covers around a third of crop accessions conserved \u003cem\u003eex situ\u003c/em\u003e in gene banks worldwide, found at total of 331 \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e accessions, the vast majority stored at the AVRDC World Vegetable Center, with most of the rest at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK. They are mostly African in origin, but a large number originate from South East Asian countries. There are also accessions listed under the synonyms \u003cem\u003eGynandropsis gynandra\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eG. pentaphylla\u003c/em\u003e. In addition, collections are maintained across Africa in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Mashamaite et al.,[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e] the crop is a drought tolerant and resilient annual vegetable crop capable of growing well in a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Mabhaudhi et al., [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e] further asserts that the crop can thrive with little human support and this illustrates its potential as a future crop in the changed climate. The crop can thrive in fragile and marginal conditions especially in degraded lands [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. The crop is a rich source of nutrients comprising of proteins, vitamins (A and C) and minerals calcium, iron, sodium, iodine, zinc and they are found in quantities greater than conventional vegetables [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. Actually, the effective utilisation of wild vegetables such as \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e has been proposed as an alternative solution to address the problem of dietary deficiencies especially micronutrient deficiencies which come from the overdependence on the conventional vegetables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite the potential benefits of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e, its development as a crop has been impeded by low research, low yields, poor seed quality [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e] and the limited understanding of its germination biology which can optimise its production in the nursery. \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e enter physiological dormancy for 4\u0026ndash;5 months after harvest and only germinate from six months after harvest [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. Kwarteng et al.,[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] asserts that the germination process is integral to its domestication as reduced germination leads to reduced crop establishment and low yields. According to Raboteaux and Anderson [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], the seeds of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e are negatively photoblastic and exposure to light for longer periods of 12 hours reduces germination due to photo-inhibition. Research by Ochuodo and Modi [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] investigated the effect of temperature, light and pre-germination treatments on \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seed and the results showed that alternating temperatures of 20\u0026ndash;30 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC under dark conditions produced the highest germination. Actually, Ochuodho and Modi [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] found that the highest germination percentages 60 and 80% occur for a 2-year-old and 1 year-old seedlots respectively of untreated seed was achieved under temperatures of 20\u0026ndash;30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC in the dark or constant 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC in the dark were used.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination is a critical stage in the life cycle of plants and controls the population dynamics. The germination and early establishment of \u003cem\u003eCleome gynandra\u003c/em\u003e are crucial for the successful cultivation of this valuable leafy vegetable, particularly in regions like Southern Africa, where it is an important food source. However, various environmental factors, such as temperature, and moisture, significantly influence these processes. This lack of knowledge poses a challenge for farmers seeking to optimize production conditions, leading to inconsistent crop yields and potentially affecting food security. Therefore, investigating the effects of temperature, and moisture on the germination parameters of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds provides critical insights that can inform cultivation practices and enhance agricultural productivity. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the influence of temperature and moisture levels on the germination and early growth of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seedlings.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSite description\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis research study was conducted at Bindura University of Science Education Campus located 1 Km south of Bindura town along Trojan Road. It is located in natural region 2a according to the Zimbabwean classification system. The region receives 700\u0026ndash;1050mm per year received in summer. The altitude is 1400m.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSource of planting material\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe seeds were obtained from plants maintained at a garden at Astra campus of the Bindura University of Science Education. The coordinates are 17\u003csup\u003e0\u003c/sup\u003e18'58.7''S 31\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003e19'25.1''E. This is a commonly consumed wild vegetable in Southern Africa.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExperimental Design and treatments\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experiment was set up as a 4*3 factorial experiment laid down as a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The experiment was also repeated twice over time. The first factor was soil moisture content at four levels: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of field capacity represented by M\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e, M\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, M\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e and M\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e respectively. The second factor was temperature at three levels: 20\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC, 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 35\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC represented by T\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e, T\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and T\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e respectively. The treatments are as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatment combinations and descriptions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatment combination\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 20 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003ec and 25% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 20 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 50% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 20 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 75% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 20 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 100% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 30 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 25% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 30 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 50% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 30 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 75% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 30 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 100% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 35 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 25% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 35 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 50% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 35 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 75% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eT\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003eM\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination at 35 \u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and 100% soil moisture content\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAgronomic management\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soil used in the experiment was dried for 24 hours to get rid of the water and was used to fill the pots. Each pot was filled with 1200g of soil. Each pot had three drainage holes at the bottom to facilitate free drainage. The pH of the soil was 4.8 which is acidic and representative of soils in most small-scale rural farms of Zimbabwe where the crop is cultivated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetermination of field capacity\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eField capacity is the amount of soil moisture or water content after excess water has drained away and the rate of downward movement has materially decreased and takes place in 2\u0026ndash;3 days after watering or rain. For determination of percentage field capacity in this experiment it was calculated by the following formulae:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Vw/Vs *100\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere FC is the field capacity; Vw is the volume of water held in the soil after drainage in m\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e and Vs is the total volume of soil (m\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe various percentages were determined from the 100% moisture content calculated using the above method. The seeds were watered after every five days. There were four different treatments of moisture, thus 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, each replicated thrice under different environmental conditions. A watering can with a fine rose was used to irrigate the pots after the amount of irrigation water was measured in a measuring cylinder.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePlanting\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds were counted and packed into sachets. Each sachet contained 30 seeds. The \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds were directly sown at 30 seeds per pot. They were spread evenly within each pot. The seeds were provided with irrigation of different amounts of water.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData Collection\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData collected included germination percentage, germination speed, mean germination time, mean daily germination, peak value and chlorophyll. Analysis of variance was done using Genstat and where there were significant differences, the means were separated using the least significant differences at 0.05 probability level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpeed of germination\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeed of germination was calculated by the following formula:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpeed of germination\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;n1/d1\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;n2/d2\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;n3/d3+----------\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;number of germinated seeds, d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;number of days.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMean germination Time (MGT)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMGT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Σn.D / Σn\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhere n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;number of seeds newly germinated at time D;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;days from the beginning of the germination test,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eΣn\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;final germination.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMean daily germination (MDG)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean daily germination can be calculated by the following formula:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMDG\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Total number of germinated seeds/ Total number of days\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eSeed germination is affected by the ecological conditions prevailing in the habitat, it depends on several environmental conditions such as light, temperature, moisture and germination media. For \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds it is known that they are negatively photoblastic and meaningful germinations will be realized after six months from harvest when dormancy will be broken.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results showed that maximum germination of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e was achieved at day 14 at 100% moisture content reaching a maximum of about 55% germination percentage (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Germination percentage increased with increase in soil moisture content across all the measured period with correlation coefficients of about 0.9 (R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.9) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe reason for the trend could have been the fact that seed germination is extremely sensitive to drought stress and that sufficient water is necessary for seeds to break dormancy and develop from heterotrophic immature embryos to autotrophic seedlings [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]. According to Bita and Gerats [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] and Goldack et al.,[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e] abiotic conditions such as drought inhibit germination. Actually, according to Sousaraei et al., [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e] and Soltani et al., [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e], the water cue is able to control the timing of germination 0f all seeds through the requirement for base water potential for germination. This implies that for successful \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e cultivation there is need to keep moisture content high nearing 100% to get the maximum seed germination.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results also showed a significant interaction effects (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) of soil moisture and temperature on the germination percentage of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds. The results showed that at 100% moisture, a temperature of 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC resulted in the greatest germination while the least was at 25% moisture (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). It is critical to understand that germination occurs when the temperature requirement for germination overlaps with habitat temperature [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSpeed of germination\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe speed of germination was significantly higher (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) at 100% moisture content across all the measured period from seven days, 10 and 14 days after planting (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e) with correlation coefficients of R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e values of 0.94, 0.97 and 0.96 respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA significant interaction (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) of moisture content and temperature on the speed of germination revealed that a temperature of 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC gave significantly higher (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) germination speed at 75 and 100% moisture content compared to 25 and 35\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC while there were no significant differences and 25 and 50\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination speed is a measure of the rate of germination in terms of the total number of seeds that germinate in a time interval. Therefore, water supply had a significant effect (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) on the number of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e seeds that germinated per unit time. This corroborates with Dewley and Black, [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e] and Ozden et al.,[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e] that water hydrates the crucial processes of the protoplasm, supplies dissolved oxygen, softens the seed\u0026rsquo;s outer layers and improves seed permeability. Therefore, for maximum germination speed, the soil moisture is supposed to be kept at 100% of field capacity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMean daily germination\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mean daily germination was significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) affected by soil moisture content and it increased as soil moisture increased (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e) with a correlation coefficient of R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.867 signifying a closer relationship between the two.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results also showed a significant (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) interaction between temperature and soil moisture on mean daily germination (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA temperature of 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC gave significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) higher mean daily germination at 50, 75 and 100% moisture content. No differences were observed at 25\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC. According to Soltani et al.,[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e] mean daily germination is the measure of the time it takes for the seed to germinate focussing on the day on which most seeds germinated. Moisture remains key to all germination parameters. Water stress decreases mean daily germination [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. Water is vital for seed enzyme activation, breakdown, translocation and endospermic stored materials [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. The greater the degree of moisture stress, the greater the decline in the levels of these parameters. The results also show how temperature is critical in regulating germination duration [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eTherefore, it can be concluded from this study that a temperature of 30o\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC and a moisture level of 100% improved all the measured germination parameters which included germination percentage, speed of germination and mean daily germination. The parameters are of paramount importance when establishing a nursery for commercial crop production. In addition to the already available knowledge on seed germination which included that seed of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e are negatively photoblastic and that dormancy ends at six months after harvest, it can therefore be ascertained that it is feasible to produce the seedlings under nursery as long as appropriate conditions are provided in the nursery to maximise germination. This may enable farmers who may want to go into commercial production of the crop to do so profitably.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe thank Bindura University of Science Education for providing the site for carrying out the experiment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNneka Chekure, Mutsengi Kufa and Mafuse Never conceptualised the project, designed it and carried the trials. Mandumbu Ronald wrote the first draft of the article. Sukati BH, Mabuza MP and Simelane VB reviewed and revised the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompliance to IUCN Policy Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was done according to the IUCN policy statement on research involving species at risk of extinction with special reference to scientific collection of threatened species as approved in 1989.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors read the manuscript and approved it for submission and publication.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical trial\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no known competing interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no external funding for this research\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data generated are reported in the manuscript. However original data are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBala A, Kar B, Haldar PK, Mazumder UK, Bera S. Evaluation of anticancer activity of Cleome gynandra on ehrlich\u0026rsquo;s ascites carcinoma treated mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;129:131\u0026ndash;4. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1016/j.jep.2010.03.010\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.jep.2010.03.010\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMunene AK, Nzuve F, Ambuko J, Odeny D. Heritability analysis and phenotypical characterisation of spider plant (Cleome gynandra l.) for yield. 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Flora. 2021;285:151963.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cleome gynandra, climate resilience, germination biology, temperature, moisture","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7121217/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7121217/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCleome gynandra\u003c/em\u003e (L.), an orphan crop is generally well adapted to tropical and sub-tropical conditions. It is drought tolerant and resilient annual vegetable crop capable of growing well in diverse conditions. However, there exists gaps in known information about the crop on its germination biology which is important if the crop is to be adopted for commercial production. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of soil moisture and temperatures on the germination parameters of \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e. The experiment was a 4*3 factorial experiment laid down as a randomised complete block design replicated three times and done twice over time. Data collected included germination percentage, mean daily germination and germination speed. The data was analysed using the Genstat version 18. The results showed that a significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) higher germination percentage was obtained on day 14 at 100% soil moisture content. Germination percentage significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) increased from 25% soil moisture content to a maximum of 60% at 100% moisture content on day 14 with a correlation of R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.87 to 0.96 which shows the closeness of the relationship at day 7 to day 14. In terms of the temperature requirements for germination, 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC gave the highest germination speed (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). The trend was the same for all germination parameters that included mean germination time, mean daily germination, germination percentage and speed of germination. It can therefore be concluded that 100% moisture content and 30\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC gave the most suitable conditions for \u003cem\u003eC. gynandra\u003c/em\u003e germination. This study implies that the same conditions can be used during nursery establishment.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The effects of day temperatures and soil moisture levels on the germination parameters of Cleome gynandra (L.)","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-30 17:51:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7121217/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"860b0a49-509d-4af6-8f82-601638e74dd8","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 30th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-17T08:42:02+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-30 17:51:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7121217","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7121217","identity":"rs-7121217","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}