Breaking seed dormancy and regeneration in Cannabis sativa L.

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. is an important medicinal plant species that grow under natural conditions and has been legalized in 20 out of 81 Turkish provinces. The female inflorescence is a highly branched compound raceme with indeterminate habit of growth. This results in different maturing of seeds on the inflorescence and induce physiological dormancy on seeds. The study aimed to improve seed germination percentage using various concentrations of GA₃, GA₃ + BAP, germination on water and water solidified with agar, MS or Gamborg B5 medium. The results showed that the best seed germination was noted on Gamborg B5 medium. Different explants were used to regenerated plantlets on Gamborg B5 medium. All explants were suitable for callus regeneration variably. Only the stem nodes of Samsun Vezirköprü were suitable to induce shoots and plantlets. These plantlets were acclimatized on clay loam soils and transferred to field condition during October 2020, where they acclimatized successfully. These studies provide an effective insight into the mechanism seed dormancy in C. sativa. Further studies using other plant growth regulator concentrations will improve shoot regeneration and aid in utilizing the methods for breeding purpose.