Effect of cold stratification on seed germination traits in three ecotypes of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University

2 Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, I.R. Iran.

3 Assist. Prof., Soil and Water Research Institute, Tehran, I.R. Iran.

4 Asso. Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, I.R. Iran.

Abstract

Germination of hazelnut seed faces with problems due to hard pericarp and dormancy period. The present study aimed to overcome these problems and improve the germination traits. For this purpose, hazelnut riped seeds were collected from three areas in Makesh in Aqh-Evlar, Fandoglou, and Makidi in Arasbaran, northwestern Iran. The seeds with pericarp and without pericarp were cold stratified in moist sand and kept in the refrigerator (5 ±1 °C) for 3 and 4 months and then grown in room conditions (20-22 °C) in order to record the seed germination daily. The experiment was done based on factorial in a completely randomized design with three replicates of 20 seeds. The highest germination (51.66 %), germination speed (2.86 per day), germination evenness (4.28 per day), germination energy (45.33%), root length (11.55 cm), shoot length (10.35 cm) and seed vigor index (112.84) belonged to without pericarp seeds of Makesh exposed to four months cold stratification. The seeds with pericarp of the three ecotypes, stratified particularly at four months, indicated the satisfactory germination percentage (≈ 40%) and seed vigor index (≈ 70). Although, germination of seeds without pericarp had better ability, however, in case of using the seeds with pericarp for the propagation of hazelnut in the nursery or for seed direct sowing in the deforested areas, the seeds of cold stratified (if possible four months) are recommended. 

Keywords

Forest and Wood Products
Volume 71, Issue 1
June 2018
Pages 1-12

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