Effects of Moist-Cold Stratification and Gibberellic Acid Applications on Breaking Seed Dormancy in Foxtail Lily (Eremurus spectabilis M.Bieb.)

Abstract

Eremurus spectabilis is a wild edible perennial herbaceous geophyte species with medicinal and popularornamental uses. In this study, gibberellic acid (GA3) with moist-cold stratification treatments were applied to break thedormancy of E. spectabilis seeds. For this purpose, seeds were soaked in gibberellic acid solutions (GA3: 500 and 750 ppmfor 24 and 48 hours). Pretreated seeds were then subjected to moist-cold stratification treatments for different durations (30,50, 80 and 100 days) at 4 ºC. In 24-hour GA3 treatments, the germination and emergence ratios (21.04%) were obtainedfrom the 500 ppm GA3 dose and 100 days of stratification treatments. In 48-hour GA3 treatments, the GA3 doses did nothave any significant effect on germination and emergence ratios; the greatest germination ratios were obtained from the 500ppm (20.36%) and 750 ppm (20.00%) doses and 100 days of stratification treatments, and the best emergence ratios wereobtained from the 500 ppm GA3 dose and 100 days of stratification treatments (18.51%). It is considered that it is beneficialto try the combinations of moist-cold applications with different treatments in future studies.