Effect of treatments on seed dormancy breaking, seedling growth, and seedling antioxidant potential of Agrimonia eupatoria L.

Abstract

Agrimonia eupatoria L. is an important medicinal plant of the Rosaceae family. Antioxidant and volatile components have been identified in this herb. The seed dormancy of A. eupatoria causes time-consuming germination with a low percentage. In this study, the effects of treatments including 4 °C wet cold (24 h and 48 h), seed coat removal, potassium nitrate (0.2 %, 1%, and 3%), and gibberellic acid (100, 200, and 300 mg L−1) were studied on seed dormancy breaking, seed germination indices, seedling growth parameters, the activity of α- amylase, antioxidant potential, as well as catalase and peroxidase activity in the in vitro conditions. The results showed that in coated seeds, seed coat removal was effective treatment on seed dormancy breaking, and increased the germination. The effect of 0.2 % potassium nitrate and 100 mg L−1 gibberellic acid was very low, and 4 °C wet cold (24 h and 48 h) had no effect. The effect of treatments was more significant in uncoated seeds. The most effective treatments in uncoated seed were 0.2 % potassium nitrate and 100 mg L−1 concentration of gibberellic acid, respectively. These treatments had a significant effect on germination indices, growth parameters, antioxidant potential, and α- amylase activity. Further, 1% potassium nitrate was the most suitable treatment for increasing the hypocotyl axis and seedling weight in uncoated seeds. In addition, 4 °C cold (24 h and 48 h) had a very little positive effect on all the mentioned indices. In all measurements, 3% potassium nitrate showed the weakest results.