Breaking seed dormancy of Alliaria petiolata with phytohormones

Abstract

The leaves of Alliaria petiolata have a potential to be used as green salad due to garlic like fragrance and high value of vitamin C and A. Unfortunately, it exhibited deprived germination because of poor physiological impediment and seed dormancy. In order to improve germination, scarified and non-scarified seeds were primed with 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mM of gibberellic acid (GA3), ascorbic acid (AsA) and salicylic acid (SA), respectively. Seeds were also hydroprimed and compared with un-soaked seeds (control). Incubation with phytohormones substantially accelerated germination and seedling emergence compare with hydropriming and control. Two millimolar GA3 improved germination to 82 %, and reduced the germination time where 50 % of the total germinated seeds during the experiment, have germinated (t50). Priming with 4 mM AsA increased germination to 54 % and reduced t50 compared to control. SA inhibited germination of A. petiolata seeds. Sowing at ½ cm burial depth reduced emergence 89 % irrespective of priming. Seeds sown on a humid soil surface obtain the best seedling establishment. Priming non-scarified seeds with 2 mM GA3 resulted in faster germination within 10 days. Our scarification method was not successful and seemed to damage the seeds and reduced the germination.