Forest seed treatment with brassinosteroids to increase their germination under stress conditions

Abstract

The effect of different concentrations of brassinosteroids (1:10, 1:100, 1:210) on the germination of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) seeds was investigated in stress conditions. The product Lexin (a mixture of humic acid, fulvic acid and auxin), which also supports seed germination, was selected as a reference treatment. The results show that the most effective is the lowest concentration of brassinosteroids which gave nearly the same effect as the reference product Lexin. The data also suggest the positive effect of pretreatment of sycamore and ash seed in pure water both on germination and germination energy.