Improving germination and subsequent seedling growth of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) seeds by the aid of thiourea and moist-chilling presowing treatments

摘要

Different concentration of thiourea (0.25 percent, 0.50 percent and 1.5 percent) either alone or in combination with two moist-chilling periods (15 and 30 days) were investigated in the present study. The obtained results showed that moist-chillingat 5 +- 1 deg for 30 days and the same treatment for 15 days followed by soaking into thiourea solution 0.25 percent for 20 hr resulted a similar effect and considered the best treatments for improving germination process and seedlings growth vigor. Theresults also indicated that the use of thiourea at low concentrations (0.25 percent and 0.5 percent) could partially and not completely replaced moist-chilling effect on breaking seed dormancy and increasing germination percentage. Otherwise, the effectof these concentrations did not attain that of moist-chilling at 5 +- 1 deg for 30 days on germination velocity and subsequent seedlings growth. The same results also proved that high concentration of thiourea (1.5 percent) either alone or in combinationwith moist-chilling periods were very injurious on the tested seeds and seedling characters.