Effects of some chemical factors, prechilling treatments and interactions on the seed dormancy‐breaking of two Papaver species

Abstract

Seed dormancy is a common strategy of many plants to survive in natural and agricultural ecosystems. This study examined the effects of some chemical factors, including gibberellic acid and potassium nitrate, the prechilling temperature, duration and conditions and the light regimes on the seed dormancy‐breaking of Papaver rhoeas L. and Papaver dubium L. The results showed that all the tested seed dormancy‐breaking treatments significantly stimulated the germination of the two Papaver species. The seed germination was significantly influenced in relation to the seeds that were treated with 0–1250 p.p.m. of gibberellic acid. The maximum germination was observed in P. rhoeas L. at 750 p.p.m. and in Pa. dubium L. at 500 p.p.m. in the light/dark regime. There was a significant increase in the germination with an increase in the potassium nitrate concentration. The greatest germination was achieved at the lowest potassium nitrate concentration (0.5 g L−1) in the light/dark regime. The wet prechilling was more effective than the dry prechilling in the dormancy‐breaking of both P. rhoeas L. and Pa. dubium L. The highest germination percentage was found in the wet prechilling condition after 45 days' prechilling duration. The combination of gibberellic acid and potassium nitrate was more successful than their separate application in the stimulation of germination in both Papaver species. Among the combined treatments of prechilling and gibberellic acid, the highest germination of P. rhoeas L. was recorded in the seeds that were treated with wet prechilling for 45 days with 750 p.p.m. gibberellic acid, while in Pa. dubium L., the maximum germination was recorded with wet prechilling for 45 days with 500 p.p.m. of gibberellic acid.