Effect of short-term seed priming on germination of wild-growing plant Scorzonera tau-saghyz

Abstract

This study examines the efficiency of vermicompost tea, an organic fertilizer, in improving the process of seed germination in rubber-producing plants of the species Scorzonera tau-saghyz. Seeds collected from three-year-old plants within the Karatau State Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan were treated with 5% and 10% vermicompost tea for 2 hours and 4 hours’ exposure. Germination progress was closely monitored over a four-week period, revealing a significant correlation between higher concentrations and exposure times with increased rates of seed germination. In particular, tau-saghyz’ seeds treated with a 10% solution of vermicompost for 4 hours showed 1.3 times higher percentage of germination compared to seed pre-treatment by 5% solution and 1.9 times greater than that of the control. These results provide valuable information on optimizing seed treatment protocols to improve the germination and growth of Scorzonera tau-saghyz seedlings, offering potential approaches for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural practices.