Effects of Cold Stratification and Chemical Scarification Duration on Germination of Cotoneaster nummularioides Pojark

In order to build middle Asia collection in the Mashhad Botanical Garden, some plants such as Cotoneaster were produced by seed. Cotoneaster nummularioides Pojark fruits were collected from kopet dag highlands mountainous region in northeastern Khorasan Razavi. The seeds were performed on 25 treatments in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. In this study the effect of different chilling and different scarified treatments was investigated. Studied treatments zero (control), 1, 2, 3 and 4 months cold stratification and chemical scarification, including without scarification (control), hydrochloric acid, hydrochloric acid - Potassium nitrate, sulfuric acid and sulfuric acid - Potassium nitrate. After the end of the treatments, the seeds were sown in a greenhouse in bed of coco peat – perlite. The results showed that there was significant difference (P<0.01) among the studied treatments and sulfuric acid - Potassium nitrate with 4 months cold stratification had had the highest average germination (18.3 percent). In controls, chilling in 1 and 2 and 3 month without scarification and chilling 1 month with scarification treatments; no germination was observed. The problem dormancy Cotoneaster resolved under the combined effects of scratches Shell and cold stratification, As a result, the physical and physiological factors influence the dormancy of this species.