Effect of Seed Priming on the Germination Properties of Allium hookeri

The effects of seed priming on the germination properties of A. hookeri, an important subtropical vegetable in Korea, were tested in Petri dishes and soil. In the Petri dish, the effects of two priming solutions, calcium chloride (CaCl۲) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and five priming times (۶, ۱۲, ۱۸, ۲۴, and ۴۸ h) were evaluated. The results indicated that both CaCl۲ and PEG priming enhanced the germination of A. hookeri, but PEG priming resulted in a higher germination percentage, energy, rate, and time to reach ۵۰% germination compared to control and CaCl۲ priming. We further investigated whether seed priming had the same effect on A. hookeri germination in the soil. For this experiment, we selected two priming conditions that showed the best result for each group in a Petri dish by observing germination properties and initial growth characteristics. We found that both priming solutions positively affected the germination and early-stage growth of A. hookeri; however, CaCl۲ priming had a more potent effect. These results suggest that seed priming can be effectively used to improve the germination properties of A. hookeri although its effect can differ depending on the environment of seed germination and growth.

Keywords:

Calcium Chloride , germination characteristics , Hooker chives , polyethylene glycol