<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Various treatments can be used to break physical dormancy (PY, i.e. water-impermeable seed coat) of legume species, but the effects of these treatments on seedling growth are of great importance in the success of afforestation projects. Our aims were to determine the effects of 20 PY-breaking treatments on (1) germination of <italic>Gleditsia caspica</italic> (Caspian locust) seeds and (2) seedling growth. Five germination and nine seedling growth and morphological traits were studied. Immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid (98%) for 60 minutes was optimal for all germination traits and for all seedling traits except root length. After seed coat removal or treatment with sulfuric acid (for 45 to 120 minutes), 99–100% of the seeds germinated, but seedling growth traits after 5 months were significantly lower in the former than in the latter treatment. Other treatments (e.g., different periods of exposure to cold water, boiling water, and KNO3) did not significantly increase germination or improve seedling growth. Thus, despite incurring adverse environmental impacts, sulfuric acid treatments have the best potential to break seed dormancy and produce high-quality seedlings (in terms of shoot length, root and shoot mass, root area, leaf number and area and collar diameter) of Caspian locust.</p></abstract>

Various treatments can be used to break physical dormancy (PY, i.e. water-impermeable seed coat) of legume species, but the effects of these treatments on seedling growth are of great importance in the success of afforestation projects. Our aims were to determine the effects of 20 PY-breaking treatments on (1) germination of Gleditsia caspica (Caspian locust) seeds and (2) seedling growth. Five germination and nine seedling growth and morphological traits were studied. Immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid (98%) for 60 minutes was optimal for all germination traits and for all seedling traits except root length. After seed coat removal or treatment with sulfuric acid (for 45 to 120 minutes), 99–100% of the seeds germinated, but seedling growth traits after 5 months were significantly lower in the former than in the latter treatment. Other treatments (e.g., different periods of exposure to cold water, boiling water, and KNO3) did not significantly increase germination or improve seedling growth. Thus, despite incurring adverse environmental impacts, sulfuric acid treatments have the best potential to break seed dormancy and produce high-quality seedlings (in terms of shoot length, root and shoot mass, root area, leaf number and area and collar diameter) of Caspian locust.

Effects of dormancy-breaking methods on germination of the water-impermeable seeds of <italic>Gleditsia caspica</italic> (Fabaceae) and seedling growth

Young Researchers and Elite Club, Khorramabad Branch

Department of Arid Land Forestry, Faculty of Desert Studies

Department of Engineering of Wood and Paper Industries, Faculty of Natural Resources

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Effects of dormancy-breaking methods on germination of the water-impermeable seeds of  (Fabaceae) and seedling growth

Various treatments can be used to break physical dormancy (PY, i.e. water-impermeable seed coat) of legume species, but the effects of these treatments on...

Effects of dormancy-breaking methods on germination of the water-impermeable seeds of Gleditsia caspica (Fabaceae) and seedling growth

Published Online: Dec 21, 2019

Page range: 115 - 126

Received: Mar 23, 2019

Accepted: Aug 02, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2019-0014

Keywords
fresh biomass, root area, seed dormancy breaking, seedling growth, sulfuric acid

© 2019 Kazem Nourmohammadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Effects of dormancy-breaking methods on germination of the water-impermeable seeds of Gleditsia caspica (Fabaceae) and seedling growth

Published Online: Dec 21, 2019

Page range: 115 - 126

Received: Mar 23, 2019

Accepted: Aug 02, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2019-0014

Keywordsfresh biomass, root area, seed dormancy breaking, seedling growth, sulfuric acid

© 2019 Kazem Nourmohammadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
fresh biomass, root area, seed dormancy breaking, seedling growth, sulfuric acid