Germination of Coreopsis lanceolata and Echinacea purpurea Seeds following Priming and Storage

Abstract

Seeds of tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata L.) and purple coneflower [Echinacea purpureo (L.) Moench] were primed in aerated solutions of a 50 m m potassium phosphate buffer at 16C. C. lanceolata seeds were primed for 3 or 6 days; E. purpurea seeds were primed for 6 or 9 days. Seeds were vacuum-stored for 2 months immediately after priming. Identical treatments were imposed on open-stored seeds just before the termination of the storage duration, thus producing four treatments: a vacuum-stored control, an open-stored control, primed vacuum-stored seed, and seed primed after open storage. Although priming significantly improved the performance of C. lanceolata seed, vacuum storage alone also significantly increased the speed of germination and final germination. The advantage of priming was diminished during 2 months of vacuum storage of E. purpurea, but priming enhanced germination as compared with the open-stored nonprimed control. There was little difference between the performance of E. purpurea seeds both primed and vacuum-stored. and the vacuum-stored control.