The effect of different treatments on seeds dormancy and germination of Gundelia tournefortii

Due to the increasing importance of on multiple uses native plants of dry lands, methods of improving seed germination rates of Gundelia tournefortii, a cold and arid land species with pharmacological and edible values, were investigated. Dormancy breaking treatments were applied in a completely randomized design. Seeds were then set in a germinator (25±1˚C - 70±3 %) and germination velocity and percentage and radicle and plumule length were recorded. Different treatments were applied including humic acid (for 26 and 54 mg/L), scarification H2SO4 (10 and 20 min), soaking in 300 and 500 ppm gibberellic acid (for 24 and 48 hours), temperature (15 and 30 min- 70 ˚C), Chilling (7 and 14 days- 4 ˚C), a complex treatment of Chilling (7 and 14 days- 4 ˚C) and gibberellic acid 500 ppm for (24 and 48 hours), and distilled water as control treatment. Results showed germination percentage and velocity and radicle and plumule length increase in all treatments rather than control. Only sulfuric acid and heat treatments prevented adequate radicle and plumule length growth. In the current study, the most successful treatment is the complex treatment of Chilling (7 and 14 days- 4˚C) and 500 ppm gibberellic acid which increased germination percentage to about 84% and also germination velocity to a high rate.