Seed stratification of an Intermountain West chokecherry ecotype

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of the American Pomological Society

Volume

61

Issue

4

Publication Date

10-1-2007

First Page

179

Last Page

182

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of stratification treatments on the germination of an Intermountain West ecotype of chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.). Seeds from a single wild stand were cleaned and subjected to one of 12 treatments. Treatments included stratification at 3ºC for durations ranging from 0 to 24 weeks. Additional treatments included exposure to GA3 during a 12-week stratification, or two stratification cycles interrupted by 4 weeks at 20ºC. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of 50 seeds each. None of the seeds stratified for 4 weeks or less germinated after 12 weeks at 20ºC. Germination percentage increased with stratification time from 8 to 16 weeks. With the 20 and 24 week stratification treatments, much of the germination occurred during the 3ºC stratification period. Interrupted stratification cycles did not increase germination percentages. Treatment with GA3 had no significant effect on germination percentage.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS