Study of seed storability and seed physiological quality of two ecotypes of sage (Salvia officinalis) using AA test

Sage is a medicinal plant belonging to Lamiaceae family. Farmers propagate this plant by seed. There is no sufficient information about seed storability and suitable vigor test for sage. Therefore, current research was carried out to find storability potential and probability of using accelerated aging test in predicting field seedling emergence.
experiment was carried out in base of completely randomized design with three replications, in 2016, at agronomy laboratory of Lorestan University, Iran. Factors were sage ecotypes (Hamedan and Esfahan) and accelerated ageing (40± ◦C and RH=100%) duration (0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hour). Germination percentage, speed of germination, root length, shoot height, percent of abnormal seedling, speed of seedling emergence, seed vigor, electrical conductivity and K and Ca leakage were measured.
accelerated aging and ecotype affected all of studied traits. Interaction of accelerated ageing duration and ecotype was significant on percentage of abnormal seedling. In both ecotypes, germination rate and speed were decreased by increasing in accelerated ageing duration; however this decrease was more for Hamedan ecotype than Esfahan ecotype. Accelerated ageing increased K and Ca leakage and electrical conductivity. Ageing induced EC was more in Hamedan ecotype than Esfahan ecotype.
In general, seed of Esfahan ecotype had more storability potential than Hamedan ecotype. T test results showed that result of standard germination test is different with rate of seedling emergence in the soil. Therefore standard germination test is not a good indicator for seedling emergence in farm. Result of this research suggested applying 24 and 48 accelerated ageing before standard germination test for Hamedan and Esfahan ecotype, respectively.