Effect of different seed priming methods on germination of chicory's ecotypes (Cichorium intybus L.)

Nowadays, seed priming technique is used as an improvement factor for germination and seedling emergence under typical and untypical conditions. To determine the effect of the best pre-treatment material and time priming on seed germination characteristics (germination percentage, germination mean time, radicle length) of chicory’s ecotypes, an experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement with three replications. The factors included four ecotypes (Arak, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran), nine pre-treatments solution: GA3 (25 and 250μM), KNO3 (50 and 150 µM), methyl jasmonate MJ (50 and 500μM), polyethylene glycol PEG6000 (-9 and -17 bar) and hydropriming H2O (0 bar) and three priming time (4, 8 and 12 hour) along with control. This experiment combination was examined in two different temperatures separately (10 and 25°C). The results from evaluation of seed priming of chicory’s ecotypes at 10°C showed the maximum percentage of germination and the minimum of germination mean time in ecotypes of Arak, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran using H2O and KNO350. In all of the ecotypes, the minimum percentage of germination and the maximum germination mean time using PEG17. H2O and KNO350 treatments had the maximum percentage of germination and the minimum germination mean time at 12- hour time priming. The length of radicle was maximum by using 12- hour time hydropriming but by using 12- hour time MJ500, the length of radicle decreased extremely. At 25°C, pre-treatment of seed chicory’s ecotypes had a significant effect only on germination mean time (p