<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Temperature, salinity and water deficit can be major environmental constraints which reduce distribution of indigenous plants in the Mediterranean region. Laboratory experiments were carried out to assess the effect of temperature, sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) on germination of <italic>Ballota hirsuta</italic> seeds. The germination responses of seeds were determined over a wide range of temperature (5 to 35°C), salinity (0 to 136 mM NaCl) and water stress (0 to −1 MPa PEG). Germination percentage was optimum at 20°C (78%), and showed a decline at lower (5°C, 25%) or higher (30°C, 18%) temperature values and total inhibition of germination at 35°C. Under salinity and water stress conditions, there was a significant deterioration in most germination parameters such as lower final germination percentage, increased mean germination times and lower germination rates.</p></abstract>

Temperature, salinity and water deficit can be major environmental constraints which reduce distribution of indigenous plants in the Mediterranean region. Laboratory experiments were carried out to assess the effect of temperature, sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) on germination of Ballota hirsuta seeds. The germination responses of seeds were determined over a wide range of temperature (5 to 35°C), salinity (0 to 136 mM NaCl) and water stress (0 to −1 MPa PEG). Germination percentage was optimum at 20°C (78%), and showed a decline at lower (5°C, 25%) or higher (30°C, 18%) temperature values and total inhibition of germination at 35°C. Under salinity and water stress conditions, there was a significant deterioration in most germination parameters such as lower final germination percentage, increased mean germination times and lower germination rates.

Germination responses of <italic>Ballota hirsuta</italic> seeds under conditions of temperature, salinity and water stress

Department of Environmental Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life

Laboratory of Plant Biodiversity: Conservation and valorization

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal

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

Germination responses of  seeds under conditions of temperature, salinity and water stress

Temperature, salinity and water deficit can be major environmental constraints which reduce distribution of indigenous plants in the Mediterranean region....

Germination responses of Ballota hirsuta seeds under conditions of temperature, salinity and water stress

Published Online: Jan 24, 2018

Page range: 34 - 39

Received: Oct 29, 2017

Accepted: Jan 09, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hppj-2018-0004

Keywords
NaCl, PEG, salt stress, seeds, water deficit

© 2018 M. Dadach et al., published by De Gruyter Open

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

Germination responses of Ballota hirsuta seeds under conditions of temperature, salinity and water stress

Published Online: Jan 24, 2018

Page range: 34 - 39

Received: Oct 29, 2017

Accepted: Jan 09, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hppj-2018-0004

KeywordsNaCl, PEG, salt stress, seeds, water deficit

© 2018 M. Dadach et al., published by De Gruyter Open

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

Keywords
NaCl, PEG, salt stress, seeds, water deficit