Effect of gibberellic acid treatments on seed dormancy, germination and subsequent seedling growth of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.)

摘要

This study was carried out on apricot dormant seeds (Prunus armeniaca L.) for successive seasons 1987/1988 and 1988/1989 at the experimental orchard of Agriculture College, Mansoura University. Two concentrations of GA_3 (750 and 1250 ppm) used either alone or in combinations with two moist-chilling periods (15 and 30 days). The obtained results recommended the treatment of soaking seeds into GA_3 at 750 ppm or at 1250 ppm for 24 hr at room temperature to break seed dormancy. It recorded a high percentage of seed germination and viability, as well as, increased germination velocity. Moreover, the resulted seedlings showed a strong vegetative growth. The same results avoided, the treatment of moist-chilling at 5 +- 1 deg for 30 days followed by soaking seeds into GA_3 solution at any of the tested concentrations. Changes in biochemical constituents of seeds embryo due to treatments gave results partially explained the effect of GA_3 and moist-chilling on seed germination ability and subsequent seedling growth.