Durmusali Soyler and Khalid Mahmood Khawar*

Variety Registration and Seed Certification Department, General Directorate of Protection and Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Bakanlikler, Ankara, Turkey agricultural Biotechnology Section, Department of Field Crops,

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ankara, 06110, Diskapi-Altindag, Ankara, Turkey, *Fax: +90-312-5969815, *E-mail: kmkhawar@gmail.com

Abstract

Cultivation of Caper (Capparis ovata Desf. var. palaestina Zoh) shrubs is limited because of poor seed ger­mination. Dormancy and seed germination requirements of caper were investigated by subjecting the seeds to 5.78 mM GAy 5.78 mM GA^ + scarification, 19.78 mM KNO^, 19.78 mM KNO^ + scarification and cold treatment + scarification, at 15°C, 20°C and a variable temperature of20-30°C, either in 12 h photoperiod, at continuous light for 24 h (42 }imol m-2 s’’) or in continuous dark. In general, 5.78 mM GAy + scarification had a positive effect on seed germination under all light conditions examined at a changing temperature of20-30°C. However, the highest seed germination was recorded from scarified 5.78 mM GAy treated seeds treated at an alternatively changing temperature under a photoperiod of 12 h light and 12 h dark The results showed that the seeds were characterized by a combined (physical, light, thermal and physiological) type of dormancy, with the seed coat involved m the maintenance of physical dormancy.

Key words: Alternating temperature, caper, GA^ KNO^, photoperiod, pre-chilling, scarification, seed ger­mination

Yayımlandığı yer : http://www.journal-pop.org/References/Vol_6_4(159-164).pdf