Effects of pre-treatments and temperature on seed viability and germination of Juniperus macrocarpa Sm.

Abstract

The effects of collecting season, collection site, laboratory pre-treatments and temperatures on seed viability and germination of Juniperus macrocarpa were investigated. Ripe cones were collected in four Sardinian dune systems, in two seasons, from plant and soil. Warm (W) and cold (C) stratifications, two combinations of them (W + C, C + W), and no pre-treatment (0) were applied. Seeds were incubated in a range of constant (10-25 8C) and an alternating (25/10 8C) temperature regime. Seed viability was low (ca. 40%) and varied significantly according to the collecting season. Seed germination was also low (ca. 10%), the 0 and W were the most effective pre-treatments on stimulating germination. The best germination temperature, without any pre-treatment, was 15 8C (ca. 20%). J. macrocarpa seeds are dormant and the achieved results suggested that the presence of secondary dormancy is induced by cold stratification. Spring appeared to be the best season for seed collecting, whereas autumn was the best for sowing. These results give new findings for restoration activities on this species.

Germination responses of Mediterranean populations of Cakile maritima to light, salinity and temperature

“…Coastal dunes are harsh environments for the establishment and survival of plant species because of intense wind, salt-spray, occasional inundation by seawater and sand movement (Ripley and Pammenter 2008;Cogoni et al 2013;Pinna et al 2014;Del Vecchio et al 2016).…”

Propagation of Juniper Species by Plant Tissue Culture: A Mini-Review

“…For example, it was found that very low J. polycarpos plant production was due to the decreased seed germination level [9]. In several Juniperus species, the main reason for this is the deep physiological dormancy of the seeds [41], which prevents their germination and is difficult to break. Attempts made by scientists to improve the germination efficiency of seeds of particular species using different techniques were not always successful.…”

In vitro Propagation of Oreocallis grandiflora (Lam.) R. Br., A Medicinal Threatened Plant

“…Seed germination is an important process in the plant life cycle and it is influenced by environmental and physiological dormancy factors [12]. O. grandiflora has shown that the breaking of dormancy in its seeds did not have special requirements; furthermore, these had 100% germination without the stimulus of exogenous plant growth regulators supplied (Fig.…”