Effects of scarification on seed germination of seven native range species of Iran

Scarification is one of the most effective treatments in improving seed germination. The seed germination percentage of some species is increased by scarification treatment. In the current study, the seeds were collected from different regions of the country and the effects of scarification on seed germination percentage and germination speed of Hedysarum formosum, Sesbania punicea, Vicia lathyroides, Ononis spinosa from Papilionaceae family, Althea wilhelminae from Malvaceae family, Bryonia aspera from Cucurbitaceae family, and Vaccaria grandiflora from Caryophyllaceae family were studied. According to the obtained results, scarification had a significant positive effect on seed germination percentage and germination speed of all species except Bryonia aspera. However, scarification treatment had no significant effect on seed germination percentage of Hedysarum formosum, but increased the speed of seed germination. Our results clearly showed that scarification could enhance the speed of germination in the species of papilionaceae family, as compared to other families.