Environmental Factors Affecting Seed Germination of Amaranthus tricolor

To study the adaptability of Amaranthus tricolor seed germination to environmental factors. Petri dish filter paper method was used to study the effects of leaf extracts of Eucalyptus citriodora and Cunninghamia lanceolata, 3 storage methods including dry storage, cold stratification and outdoor burial, and 4 pH values on germination rate, germination potential, germination index and initial germination time of A. tricolor which was one of annual plants. the result showed that the germination rate of seeds were normally more than 80.00% under the treatment of fresh leaf extract from 2 tree species, 0.1 g/mL extract from E. citriodora inhibited germination rate significantly, seed germination potential and germination index were decreased significantly too. Germination indicators of A. tricolor were higher under different storage treatments, and storage for 14 d and 28 d was more conducive to seed germination. Over the range of pH 3.0 to 4.5, the seed germination rates were more than 95.00%, and germination increased as acid concentration became more positive. Moreover, Seeds germinated on the first day or the second day, the germination rate reached the highest. A. tricolor is insensitive to the allelopathy of E. citriodora and C. lanceolata, has high germination in high acid environment, and can be used as a feed plant for the development of forest culture.