Effect of Pre-Sowing Seed Treatments on Germination Traits and Early Seedling Growth of Eldar Pine

Authors
Z. Javanmaer 1
M. Tabari Kouchaksaraei 2
1 M.Sc. Student of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
2 Professor of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
Abstract
Background: Seed energy and seed vigour are the most important qualitative attributes influencing plant’s growth and establishment that can be improved by techniques generally known as seed priming, which enhances the percentage, speed and uniformity of germination. Effect of various priming techniques was conducted on seed germination and seedling’s early growth of elder pine (Pinus eldarica Medw.) in Seed Technology Lab of Natural Resources Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
Materials and Methods: Seeds were treated through hydropriming with distilled water, halopriming with NaCl at -4 and -8 bar concentrations, osmopriming with polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) at -4 and -8 bar concentrations and hormonopriming with salicylic acid (SA) at 1 and 2 mM solutions for 48 h. Un-primed dry seeds were taken as control. The seeds were kept in germinator at 20 ± 0.5 °C, 65% relative humidity and 16.8 h light/dark photoperiod for 42 days.
Results: The highest germination percentage (92%) and germination speed (5.13 seeds/day) were obtained with hydropriming. The best results to improve germination energy, time to 50% germination, seedling length, seedling dry weight and seedling vigour index were achieved with hydropriming and hormonalpriming 1 and 2 mM. Osmopriming and halopriming -8 bar compared to control in most mentioned traits showed poor performance.
Conclusions: Hydropriming and hormonalpriming can be suitable techniques to support nursery practices of elder pine seed in order to improve germination percentage, emergence and early seedling growth.
Keywords
Pinus eldarica
Priming
Seed germination
Vigour Index
  1. Reye O, Casal M. Role of fire on seed dissemination and germination of Pinuspinaster and P. radita. Nova Acta Cient Compostel. Biol., 2002; 12: 111-118.

  2. Zimina RP. The main features of the Caucasian natural landscapes and their conversion. Arct Antarct Alp Res. 1978; 10(2): 479-488.

  3. Fisher JT. The forestry potential of Pinuseldarica plantations. In: Proceedings Afghan Pine and Christmas Tree Symposium. New Mexico State University. 1985.

  4. Fisher JT, Neumann RW, Mexal JG. Performance of Pinushalepensisbrutia group pines in southern New Mexico. Forest Ecol Manag. 1986; 16(1-4): 403-410.

  5. Harrington J, Mexal T, John G, Fisher JT. Seed set and germination of eldaricapine influenced by cone hierarchy. National Nursery Proceedings., 1989; 65-69.

  6. Khalil SK, Mexal JG, Otiz M. Osmotic priming hastens germination and improves seedlings size of Pinusbrutia var. eldarica. Tree Plant Notes, 1997; 48(1-2): 24-27.

  7. Asaadi AM, HeshmatiGh A, Dadkhah AR. Effects of different treatments to stimulate seed germination of Salsolaarbusculiformis Drob. ECOPERSIA, 2015; 3 (3): 1077-1088.

  8. Rashed Mohasel MH, Kafi M. Seed Production in Crops. Mashhad, Jihad Publications. 1992.

  9. Demir I, Van De Venter HA. The effect of priming treatments on the performance of watermelon (Citrulluslanatus (Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai) seeds under temperature and osmotic stress. Seed Sci Technol., 1999; 27(3): 871-875.

  10. Farooq M, Basra SMA, Wahid A. Priming of field-sown rice seed enhances germination, seedling establishment, allometry and yield. Plant Growth Regul. 2006; 49(2): 285-294.

  11. Saleem MS, Sajid M, Ahmed Z, Ahmed S, Ahmed N, Islam SU. Effect of seed soaking on seed germination and growth of bitter gourd cultivars. J Agric Vet Sci. 2014; 6 (6): 7-11.

  12. Zulueta-Rodriguez R, Hernandez-Montiel L, Murillo-Amador B, Rueda-Puente E, Lara Capistran L, Troyo-Diéguez E, Cordoba-Matson M. Effect of hydropriming and biopriming on seed germination and growth of two Mexican fir tree species in danger of extinction. Forests, 2015; 6(9): 3109-3122.

  13. Ashraf M, Foolad MR. Pre-sowing seed treatment a shotgun approach to improve germination, plant growth, and crop yield under saline and non-saline conditions. AdvAgron. 2005; (1); 88: 223-271.

  14. Beckers JM, Conrath U. Priming for stress resistance: from the lab to the field. Curr.Opin. Plant Biol. 2007; 10(4): 425-431.

  15. McDonald MB. In: Seed technology and its biological basis. Black, M., and J.D. Bewley, (Eds.). Sheffield Academic Press, England. 2000: 287-325.

  16. Afzal I, Munir F, Ayub CM, Basra SMA, Hameed A, Nawaz A. Changes in antioxidant enzymes, germination capacity and vigour of tomato seeds in response of priming with polyamines. Seed Sci Technol. 2009; 37(3): 765-770.

  17. Basra SMA, Farooq M, Tabassum R, Ahmad N. Physiological and biochemical aspects of seed vigour enhancement treatments in fine rice (Oryza sativa L.). Seed Sci Technol. 2005; 33(3): 623-628.

  18. Hu J, Xie XJ, Wang ZF, Song WJ. Sand priming improves alfalfa germination under high-salt concentration stress. Seed Sci Technol. 2006; 34(1): 199-204.

  19. Haridi MB. Effect of osmotic priming with polyethylene glycol on germination of Pinuselliottii seeds. Seed Sci Technol. 1985; 13: 669-674.

  20. Hallgren SW. Effects of osmotic priming using aerated solutions of polyethylene glycol on germination of pineseeds. Ann For Sci. 1989; 46: 31-37.

  21. Bourgeois J, Malek L. Metabolic changes related to the acceleration of jack pine germination by osmotic priming. Tree Physiol. 1991; 8:407-413.

  22. Naglreiter C, Reichenauer TG, Goodman BA,Bolhar-Nordonkampf HR. Free radical generation in Pinussylvestris and Larixdeciduas seeds primed with polyethylene glycol or potassium salt solution. Plant Physiol Bioch. 2005; 43(2): 117-123.

  23. Jian-Da1 Z, Jian-Ping L. Effect of Ca2+ and salicylic acid on germination of seeds of Larixprincipis-ruprechtii. Mod Agri Sci. 2009; 3(1): 3-17.

  24. Su-juan G, Yong-chao W, Wen-shu W. Effects of priming treatments on germination and biochemical characteristics of Pinusbungeana seeds. For Study China, 2012; 14(3): 200-204.

  25. ISTA. International Rules for Seed Testing. International Seed Testing Association, Switzerland. 2009.

  26. ISTA. International rules of seed testing. SeedSci. and Technol, 2002; 20: 53-55.

  27. Ellis RH, Roberts EH, The quantification of ageing and survival in orthodox seeds. Seed Sci Technol, 1981; 9: 373-409.

  28. Farooq M, Basra SMA, Hafeez K, Ahmad N. Thermal hardening a new seed vigor enhancement tool in rice. J Integr Plant Biol. 2005; 47(2): 187-193.

  29. Willenborg CJ, Wildeman JC, Miller AK, Rossnaged BG, Shirtliffe SJ. Oat germination characteristics differ among geno-types, seed sizes, and osmotic potentials. Crop Sci. 2005; 45(2): 2023-2029.

  30. Vashisth A, Nagarajan S. Effect on germination and early growth characteristics in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds exposed to static magnetic field. J Plant Physiol. 2010; 167(2): 149-156.

  31. Ajouri A, Asgedom H, Becker M. Seed priming enhances germination and seedling growth of barley under conditions of P and Zn deficiency. J Plant Nutr Soil Sc. 2004; 167(5): 630-636.

  32. Zhu JK. Salt and drought signal transduction in plants. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2002; 53(1): 247-27.

  33. Balouchi H, Alouchi S, Dehkodi A, Movahhedi Dehvani M, Behzadi B. Effect of priming types on germination Nigella sativa under osmotic stress. South-West J HorticBiol Environ. 2015; 6(1): 1-20.

  34. Khan HA, Pervez MA, Ayub CM, Ziaf K, Balal RM, Shahid MA, Akhtar N. Hormonal priming alleviates salt stress in hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Soil Environ. 2009; 28(2): 130-135.

  35. Mcdoland MB. Seed deterioration: physiology, repair and assessment. Seed Sci Technol. 1999; 27(1): 177-237.

  36. Verma AN, Tandon P. Effect of growth regulators on germination and seedling growth of Pinuskesiya and Schimakhosiana. Indian J Forestry. 1988; 11(1): 32-36.

  37. Takhti S, Shekafandeh A. Effect of different seed priming on germination rate and seedling growth of Ziziphus Spina-Christi. Adv Environ Biol. 2012; 6(1): 159-164.

  38. Shehzad M, Ayub M, Ahmad AUH, Yaseen M. Influence of priming techniques on emergence and seedling growth of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). J Anim Plant Sci. 2012; 22(1): 154-158.

  39. Bewly JD, Black M. Seeds: physiology of development and germination. Ed2. Plenum Press. 1994.

  40. Basra SMA, Zia N, Mahmood T, Afzal A, Khaliq A. Comparison of different in vigoration techniques in wheat (Triricumaestivum L.) seeds. Pak J Arid Agri. 2003; 5: 11-16.

ECOPERSIA
Volume 5, Issue 4 - Serial Number 22
December 2017
Pages 1969-1980