Effect of some mechanical and chemical pre-treatments on seed germination and seedling growthe of quercus Coccifrea L. (Kemes Oaks)‎

Abstract EN

To study the effect of some mechanical and chemical pre-treatments on seed germination and seedling growth of Quercus coccifera, seeds were soaked up in hot water for 24 and 48 hour.

Scarifications by longitudinal cleft of the pericarp and removal of the whole pericarp was carried out, under both types of these scarifications some seeds were soaked up in water for 24 hour, some of them were not soaked.

Chemical pre-treatments involve soaking up the seeds in concentrated sulfuric acid (96 %) for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes.

One set of oak seeds was used as a control in which seeds were soaked up in distilled water for the same periods of time used in the above different pre-treatments.

The results showed that the highest significant… germination.

percentages occurred under both types of mechanical scarification with soaking in water, followed by 30 and 60 minutes soaking in concentrated sulfuric acid and then by both types of scarification without water soaking.

The lowest germination percentages were found under the effect of boiling water and the control seeds.

Seedlings growth showed similar patterns of response under the eve feet of these pre-treatments.