Effect of Different Pre-Sowing Treatments on Seed Germination of Spruce (Picea smithiana Wall. Boiss) Seeds under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir Himalayas, India

Abstract

Conifer seeds in general have a high degree of dormancy even if subjected to environmental conditions favourable for germination (Jull and Blazich, 2000). This dormancy is caused by a combination of internal (physiological) and external (physical) factors (Basu, 1994). Hard seed coat acts as a barrier for the imbibition of water and exchange of gases, essential for initiation of the germination process. Hard seed coats together with pericarps and other structural barriers impose a high mechanical resistance and block water uptake and/or oxygen diffusion (Kelly, 1992). Cold stratification has been widely used as a pre-sowing treatment for breaking dormancy to enhancing the seed germination rate (ISTA, 1976; Baskin and Baskin, 2004). This is an effortless, cheap and successful method for overcoming seed dormancy. The effects of moist chilling in establishing hormonal levels have been proved due to initiation of appropriate enzyme activity (Nikolaeva, 1969). Moreover, the phenomenon of cold stratification has long been recognized in International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 3603-3612 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com