Germination of Phlox pilosa L. Seeds Is Improved by Gibberellic Acid and Light but Not Stratification, Potassium Nitrate, or Surface Disinfestation

Abstract

The effects of warm stratification and cold stratification, gibberellin-3 (GA3) concentration, potassium nitrate concentration, light, and duration of surface sterilization on the germination of downy phlox (Phlox pilosa L.) seeds were studied. Germination after 21 days (G21), days to 50% germination (T50), and number of days between 10% and 90% final germination (T90–T10) were calculated for each treatment. Total germination percentage was most significantly improved by cold stratification at 5 ± 2 °C for 10 weeks after warm stratification at 20 °C for 2 weeks; however, a substantial amount of germination occurred during the prestratification period, thus resulting in a crop with poor uniformity. A total of 10 mg·L−1 GA3 significantly improved the G21, T50, and T90–T10 values. Although GA3 concentration and duration of cold stratification period interacted significantly when the two were combined, the additive effects of GA3 and cold stratification did not significantly improve G21 values over those obtained with GA3 alone nor were T50 values improved over those obtained with cold stratification alone. Potassium nitrate did not influence the T50 and T90–T10 values and improved G21 only slightly. Light was found to be necessary for germination. Surface sterilization with 10% bleach decreased the growth of fungi on seeds but had no significant effect on the germination responses of P. pilosa seeds. Application of GA3 at 10 mg·L−1 is a promising method for improving seed germination in perennial Phlox species.