Growth Regulators and Storage Temperature Govern Germination of Coreopsis Seed

Abstract

The storage and germination environments were evaluated to determine the cause of low total germination percentages and highly irregular germination of Coreopsis lanceolata L. seed. Highest total germination and most rapid and uniform germination of seed occurred at constant 15C, other constant temperatures and all alternating temperature regimes caused lower total germination or delayed it. Seeds tolerated -20C during storage, but total germination was reduced below -5C. Recently harvested seeds had 44% total germination, but 54% to 81% germination was achieved after 6 hours of soaking seeds in 1000 ppm GA3, 1000 ppm ethephon, or 25 ppm kinetin alone or in combination. Growth regulators reduced the number of days to 50% of final germination (T50), and the span in days between 10% and 90% of germination (T90 - T10). Storing fresh seeds without chemical treatment for > 6 months at 5C and 10% to 20% relative humidity (RH), or 15C at 20% to 35% RH, increased total germination to 75% and 80%, respectively. Ten days were required to achieve T50 after 5 to 6 months of storage at 5C and 10% to 20% RH or 15C and 10% to 40% RH, with longer periods to T50 at other storage durations and RH levels. The germination spans (T90 - T10) were lengthened the higher the seed storage temperatures between 5 to 25C, with longer spans as seed storage durations and relative humidities increased. Total germination was similar after storing seeds at 5 or 15C and 10% to 30% RH and after soaking recently harvested seeds in GA3 + ethephon, but the days to T50 and T90 - T10 were shorter after growth regulator treatment. Chemical names used: (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid (ethephon); gibberellic acid (GA3); 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin).