Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicinal Plants (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Ferula assa-foetida L. is an Iranian endemic medicinal plant that belongs to Apiaceae family. Seeds of this plant have a long period of dormancy. Therefore, experimental methods, which decrease seed dormancy period, could be effective in the seed germination rate and also in revival of the plant. The effect of GA3 as a pre-treatment (at high concentrations in a short time period at 23±2°C) and treatment (low concentrations in a long time period at 23±2 and 4°C)on germination of two Tabas and Shirkooh population seeds on MS medium was analyzed. Comparative analyses on treated and pre- treated seeds from two populations with GA3 at 23±2°C temperature did not show any significant changes in both the germination percentage and rate. However, seeds chilling treatment (4°C) indicated increased germination rate and percentage. So, after 12 weeks the maximum germination percentages were 84 and 56% for Tabas and Shirkooh populations. Also the effect of the temperature was investigated on seed germination on the wet filter paper in two levels of 23±2 and 4°C. According to results, maximum seed germination percentage obtained for Shirkooh were (90%) and Tabas (67%) populations by soaking the seeds on the wet filter papers in Petri dishes within 8 to 9 weeks. Finally, it seems that increasing endogenous GA3 concentration, which is provided mostly by chilling treatment, is the most effective factor for breaking the seed dormancy.
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