Germination response of alder and birch seeds to applied gibberellic acid and priming treatments in combination with chilling

Abstract

The effects of seed moisture content (MC), gibberellic acid (GA3) concentration, chilling and priming pretreatments on the germination of common alder (Alnus glutinosa) and downey birch (Betula pubescens) seeds were examined. After treatment, the seeds were allowed to germinate for 42 days at 15 °C or 20 °C (dark)/30 °C (light). Treatment responses were similar at both temperatures and in both species. GA3 treatment of seeds in fully imbibed (FI) state for 30 days, or at the lower, target moisture content (TMC) for 3090 days, significantly improved germination, but longer treatment periods reduced it (FI seeds) or had no effect (TMC seeds). Priming for two days improved germination in the FI seeds, but more than 4 days reduced it. Priming for up to 14 days had little effect on the germination of the TMC seeds. © INRA, EDP Sciences, 2007.