EFFECT OF TREATING LETTUCE (Lactuca sativa L.) SEEDS WITH SOLUTIONS OF ETHEREAL OILS FROM CAMPHOR TREE (Cinnamomum camphora L.) AND PATCHOULI PLANT (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) ON THEIR GERMINATION

Abstract

One of the most important problems in horticultural seed science and technology nowadays is looking for new methods to improve seed quality. Especially interesting are the ones, in which compounds of natural origin are used. One of such groups is ethereal oils from plants. The commercial seed samples of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. ‘Dumka’) were soaked in 9 different treatments of 5% alcoholic solution of camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora L.) ethereal oil and 9 different treatments of 5% alcoholic solution of patchouli plant (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) ethereal oil. Then the seeds were routinely tested for seed germination, the length of the received seedlings was also measured and the seeds health status was evaluated. The tested ethereal oils had no effect on the germination of lettuce seeds. However, soaking the seeds in the ethereal oils solutions did decrease the percentage of dead seeds in the tested samples. Soaking of the seeds in the ethereal oils solutions also increased the percentage of healthy ungerminated seeds. Treating the seeds with the concentrations of the ethereal oils solutions, although had no effect on their germination, still shortened the length of seedlings. Moreover, the used ethereal oils lowered the amount of identified Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium sphaerospermum fungi on the seeds.

Keywords

• soaking of the seed
• seed quality germination capacity
• seed infestation and incidence of fungi