Seed characteristics and hard seed broken methods of Sophora alopecuroides and Thermopsis lanceolata

The sharp, color and surface state of Sophora alopecuroides and Thermopsis lanceolata seeds collected from desert edge were researched in laboratory. The results showed that sharp, color, appearance had significant difference. Strong degree and hard seed rate were higher, but the water content was lower. The length of Sophora alopecuroides was larger than that of Thermopsis lanceolata, but the bulk density and TGW of Thermopsis lanceolata seeds were higher than that of Sophora alopecuroides seeds. The width, thickness and bulk density had no significant difference. Hard seed and non-hard seed were all existed together in fresh and pure bean seeds. The best hard seed release methods for Sophora alopecuroides and Thermopsis lanceolata were treating seeds using 90% (v/v) sulfuric acid for 70min and 120min respectively. Sophora alopecuroides and Thermopsis lanceolata seeds had higher materials convert efficiency and reached to 77.94% and77.28%, respectively. Sophora alopecuroides and Thermopsis lanceolata seeds didn’t germinate until 21 h and the lowest water requirement was 151.05% and 151.71%, respectively. They needed more water to germinate. Sophora alopecuroides seeds had a fast germination speed and needed 40 h to reach maximal germination value, and Thermopsis lanceolata needed 56 h to reach that value.