Changes in germination characteristics and seedling growth between storage and non-storage of primed tall fescue seed

Abstract

In seed priming studies, seeds usually are sown directly in the field or stored for short periods of time. The objective of this study was to  determine the effects of storage on the primed seed of tall fescue. Hydropriming and osmopriming methods were used in this study to prime the seeds. The water osmotic potential for osmopriming was between -1.5 and -2.2 MPa. After drying, the seeds were first divided into two groups. For the first group, the seeds were sealed in aluminum foil bags and stored at 25°C for up to 1 year and the second group was used for un-stored germination test. Germination percentage for primed seeds stored at 25°C for 1 year decreased significantly compared to the un-stored primed seeds in most treatments, but the control seeds (stored non-primed seeds) in comparison with hydropriming for 1 day had the lowest germination value. The results reveal that there were significant decreased in the germination percentage in stored seeds. The mean germination times of seeds primed and unstored were lower than those of stored primed seeds. Generally, results show that in order to improve
seed germination performance without loss of longevity of tall fescue species, hydropriming can be advised.

Key words: Drying, hydropriming, KNO3, longevity, mean germination time, PEG 8000, seed priming.