Overcoming seed dormancy of mooseer (Allium hirtifolium) through cold stratification, gibberellic acid, and acid scarification

Abstract

Mooseer (Allium hirtifolium Boiss.) is bulbous perennial herb widely used in pharmaceutical and food industry in Iran. We studied germination of mooseer seeds in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, we evaluated four treatments: sulfuric acid scarification, sandpaper scarification, cold stratification, and gibberellic acid (GA3) application. In the second experiment, we evaluated combinations of these treatments. All treatments in the first experiment had no effect on seed germination, suggesting that mooseer seeds have physical and physiological dormancy. In the second experiment, the highest germina- tion percentage (86.6%) was observed after five minutes scarification with sulfuric acid (75% v/v), followed by 60 days of cold stratification. Duration of sulfuric acid scarification (5, 10, and 20 min) did not affect germination rates, but increasing duration of cold stratification (from 15 to 60 days), increased germination from 28.3% to 86.6%. Our study showed that mooseer seeds have both physical and physiological dor- mancy.