Optimizing germination protocols for Citrullus colocynthis : a study on seed dormancy breakthrough through chemical and physical treatments

Abaddar, Nasir (author), Naghdi Badi, Hassanali (author), Amini Dehaghi, Majid (author), Soltani, Elias (author), Rezazadeh, Alireza (author)

Bitter apple (Citrullus colocynthis), a desert plant with medicinal properties, typically exhibits low seed germination due to dormancy. This study investigated physical and chemical treatments to improve C. colocynthis seed germination. A completely randomized design with factorial arrangement and three replications was used to test the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) at concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 100, and 150 ppm, under four diurnal temperature and light (TL) regimes: (1) 20°C (12h light/dark), (2) 25°C (12h light/dark), (3) 35°C (12h light) / 15°C (12h dark), and (4) 30°C (12h light) / 20°C (12h dark). Results showed that TL regime, GA3, and their interaction significantly affected all measured germination parameters. The highest germination percentage, relative germination percentage, mean daily germination, germination index, germination value, and seedling dry mass were achieved with 100 ppm GA3 under the 35-15°C regime. The study concluded that average germination speed, germination time variation coefficient, germination speed coefficient, and synchronization index were unreliable for assessing seed quality under low germination conditions, suggesting that physiological dormancy in Bitter Apple seeds may stem from embryo immaturity, inhibitory factors, or both.

• Language: English
• Keywords: seed dormancy, physiological dormancy, diurnal temperature alternation, gibberellic acid
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 11 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 121, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175776
• UDC: 63
• ISSN on article: 1854-1941
• DOI: 10.14720/aas.2025.121.3.22753
• COBISS.SI-ID: 256318467
• Publication date in RUL: 07.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturae Slovenica
• Publisher: Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-1941
• COBISS.SI-ID: 219581184

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Optimiziranje protokolov kalitve kolokinte (Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.): Študija o prekinitvi mirovanja semen s kemičnimi in fizikalnimi obdelavami
• Keywords: dormanca semen, fiziološka dormanca, diurnalno menjavanje temperatur, giberilinska kislina