The effect of some treatments on breaking seed dormancy and seed germination in Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. (Caucasian whortleberry)

Caucasian whortleberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) is a useful medicinal plant with many seeded berries; the limits of germination rate and long dormancy of the seeds are as major barriers to the optimal use of this plant. To evaluation of some treatments on breaking seed dormancy and increasing germination rate, the experiment carried out using factorial design with three replications in research lab in Faculty of Agriculture in 2013. Treatments were including gibberellic acid, Nitrate potassium, heating, wet and dry chilling each with two levels and transferred to germinator 15 °C and 25 °C (day/night) and 12 hours light. Seeds were counted every two days within one month. The results revealed the highest germination rate were belong to gibberellic acid (500 ppm), potassium nitrate 1% (8 hr) and wet chilling (15 days) while heating had no significant effect on germination. The seeds have physiological dormancy in which could be removed by some treatments.