Effects of osmopriming and storage temperature on the seed quality of Salvia przewalskii Maxim.

Abstract

Salvia przewalskii Maxim. is an important Asian medicinal plant. The aim of the study was to investigate the reaction of seeds of this species to the priming and storage temperature. The germination, vigour and health of seeds were determined for untreated and osmoprimed diaspores, after harvest and 12 months of storage at 4 and 16°C. The seeds were primed in the polyethylene glycol (PEG) water solution with an osmotic potential of –0.8 and –1.1 MPa. It has been found that osmopriming of non-stored and stored seeds strongly reduced the time of germination. One-year storage of seeds both at 4 and 16°C caused statistically significant increase of the total number of germinating seeds, germination energy and capacity. The highest germination rate was found at the seeds stored at 16°C and primed with –0.8 MPa PEG solution.

Keywords

• Salvia przewalskii
• seed germination
• vigour
• viability
• health
• fungi