Influence of seed coat removal and chilling on abscisic acid content and germination in ornamental peach (Prunus persica Batsch) seeds

Abstract

SummaryThe effects of seed coat removal and chilling on the germination of seeds of ten cultivars of ornamental peach (Prunus persica Batsch) were investigated. Seeds were rinsed in running tap water for 48 h in order to facilitate seed coat removal. Only a few non-chilled, intact seeds germinated (e.g., 6% of ‘Hito’ seeds). Seed coat removal and no chilling resulted in some seed germination in eight of the ten cultivars, ranging from 6% to 83%. Chilling intact seeds at 5°C for up to 10 weeks resulted in greater frequencies of germination (average = 85% germination) than seed coat removal before (average = 80%) or after chilling (average = 73%). There was a linear decrease in the germination percentage with an increase in abscisic acid (ABA) content for ‘Yaguchi’,‘Kanpaku’, and ‘Kikumomo’ seeds (R = –0.66; P <0.001). The most consistent decrease in total seed ABA content (average of 64%) occurred during the 48 h rinsing period. In ‘Kanpaku’, dry seeds had an intermediate ABA content (13 ng per seed); but, in the embryonic axes, this increased from 0.03 ng to 1.2 ng per seed with an increase in the duration of the chilling period. The lowest germination percentages were found in this cultivar. These results suggest that ABA synthesis in the embryonic axes during chilling may affect the varietal characteristic of seed dormancy, and that rinsing seeds for >48 h could remove sufficient ABA to allow seed germination with minimum chilling.