Propagation

Baylee N. Dawson

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 Germination and Non-Deep
Combinational Dormancy in ​Prunus
persica ​Seeds
Baylee N. Dawson
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
77843-2133

Index Words: ​Peach, ​Prunus persica​, seed propagation, stratification, endocarp,

gibberellic acid, physiological dormancy, physical dormancy, germination,
pre-germination, control treatment, plant propagation

Significance to Industry: ​Peach (​Prunus persica​) are drupes, seeds covered by a

thick endocarp. Peach seeds also require a period of stratification, or a period of cold
mimicking natural winter conditions, to germinate. To successfully germinate these
seeds first their dormancy must be broken. “Seed dormancy is an innate seed property
that defines the environmental conditions in which the seed is able to germinate. It is
determined by genetics with a substantial environmental influence which is mediated, at
least in part, by the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellins” (Finch-Savage,
2006). Dormancy is an “adaptation that allows seasonal timing so that germination
occurs under favorable conditions” to increase the likelihood of seedling survival (Rhie,
et. al., 2016). This experiment determined that both physical and physiological
dormancy must be broken for successful germination. Physical dormancy is “caused by
water-impermeable layers of palisade cells in the seed or fruit coat that control water
movement. Mechanical or chemical scarification can break [physical] dormancy”
(Finch-Savage, 2006). Physiological dormancy can be classified as deep or non-deep.
Deep physiological dormancy cannot be broken by the application of gibberellic acid.
Non-deep physiological dormancy can be broken by “GA treatment… and, depending
on species, dormancy can also be broken by scarification, after-ripening in dry storage,
and cold or warm stratification” (Finch-Savage, 2006; Rhie, et. al, 2016).
Pre-germination treatments of stratification, gibberellic acid, and removal of the
endocarp were successful in breaking dormancy and allowing for seed germination.

Nature of Work: ​To test the effects of gibberellic acid, stratification, and physical
dormancy on germination rates of peach seeds eight different treatments were used on

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eighty peach seeds. Gibberellic acid (GA) is an auxin, a plant growth regulation
hormone.
Each treatment was used on ten peach seeds left intact and ten with their
endocarp removed. Ten seeds were left intact and untreated, creating the control with
endocarp group. Ten seeds were extracted from their endocarp and left untreated,
creating the control without endocarp group. Ten seeds left intact and ten seeds without
endocarp were subjected to three weeks stratification. Ten seeds left intact and ten
seeds pitted were subjected to ten weeks stratification. Lastly, ten intact seeds and ten
seeds without endocarp were pre-soaked for twenty-four hours in a 3000 ppm
gibberellic acid with K​+​ salt formulation.
Following pre-germination treatment each treatment group was planted in a flat
with growth media and then placed in a greenhouse, watered by misting nozzles, and
observed weekly for five weeks. Data collected included percentage of seeds
germinating in each treatment group, final height averages for each group, and
observations of each group at the end of five weeks. Each lab group took observations
of their individual experiments and kept that data. Additionally, all individual lab group
data was averaged together and the standard deviation was found in order to create a
more accurate and comprehensive picture of the results.

Results and Discussion: ​In lab group fourteen none of the peach seeds with endocarp
germinated, nor did the control treatment without endocarp. The pitted seeds subjected
to three or ten weeks of stratification as well as the pitted seeds treated with gibberellic
acid were the only seeds to germinate.

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 Consistently, within the total class data none of the seeds with endocarp
germinated. However, a small percentage of the time the untreated, pitted control seeds
germinated.

Additionally, observations were taken. Within group fourteen it was observed that
the pitted, three week stratification treatment seeds had grown into the healthiest plants.
They were a bright green color with many leaves. While the pitted ten week stratification
plants averaged a greater height it was observed that the heights were greatly varying
and that the plants looked slightly chlorotic. The pitted GA treatment plants were the
darkest green, but they also possessed tightly curled leaves.

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 The class mean heights for pitted ten and three week stratification plants were
shorter than group fourteen’s individual means, however the class mean height for
pitted GA treated plants was significantly higher

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 From the data we can confidently conclude that that failure to remove the
endocarp of the peach seeds prevents germination due to physical dormancy. None of
the seeds with endocarp germinated. Removal of the endocarp breaks this dormancy,
however it does not affect the seeds’ physiological dormancy. (Pipinas, et. al, 2015).
The pitted seeds subjected to ten weeks of stratification had the highest percentage of
germination within both group fourteen’s individual experiment and the class mean data,
followed by the pitted seeds subjected to three weeks of stratification. From this we can
conclude that stratification breaks the physiological dormancy of the seeds, but that a
longer amount of time gives more certainty to the chilling time condition being met and
allowing germination. Within group fourteen’s experiment the seeds without endocarp
treated by gibberellic acid germinated at an equal percentage as the pitted three week
stratification seeds. Within the class data the pitted GA seeds germinated slightly less,
but with a difference of less than ten percent. According to previous research on the
subject “GA itself… can cause germination of dormant seeds, [but] is not involved in
(embryo) dormancy loss, but in stimulating seed germination” (Finch-Savage, 2006) and
also that “Gibberellins appear to play a role in two different stages of germination… the
initial enzyme induction in their transcription from the chromosomes… [and] activation of
reserve food mobilizing system” (Baninasab & Rahemi, 2008). The findings of this
experiment are in-line with previous similar experiments, as in an experiment conducted
in 2009 that found that non-deep physiological dormancy in “was somewhat alleviated
by application of Gibberellic acid” (Heather, et. al., 2009). From here we can judge that
the GA treatment was nearly as successful at causing germination as the three weeks
stratified seeds were at breaking dormancy (which resulted in germination).
In addition to possessing the highest germination percentage, the pitted ten week
stratification treatment group produced the tallest plants on average in group fourteen.
The group did observe that the heights were varying, with some plants as small as two
centimeters. Within the class mean data this treatment group scored second highest
below the pitted GA treatment group. In both data sets the three week stratification
without endocarp group produced the shortest plants.
From the data it can be decided that a ten week stratification treatment and
removal of the endocarp is the most consistently effective way of breaking both physical
and physiological dormancy and producing germinating seeds, however, the of the
removal of the endocarp followed by the application of gibberellic acid can work to
induce germination on​ Prunus persica​ seeds, as they possess combinational physical
and non-deep morphophysiological dormancy (Finch-Savage, 2006; Rhie, et. al., 2016).

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Literature Cited:
1. Baninasab, B., and M. Rahemi, 2008. The Effects of Scarification, Cold
Stratification and Gibberellic Acid Treatment on Germination of Kholkhong
Seeds. Journal of Plant Sciences. (3): 121-125.
2. Finch-Savage, W.E. and G. Leubner-Metzger. 2006. Seed dormancy and the
control of germination. New Phytologist. (171):501-523.
3. Heather, A.E., H.E. Perez, and S.B. Wilson. 2009. Alleviating Seed Dormancy of
Two Native Wildflowers: ​Polygonella polygama​ and ​Polygonella robusta​. SNA
Research Conference (54): 434-468.
4. Pipinis, E., E. Milios, M. Georgiou, and P. Smiris. 2015. EFFECTS OF
GIBBERELLIC ACID AND COLD STRATIFICATION ON SEED GERMINATION
OF TWO SORBUS SPECIES. Forestry Ideas (21): 107-114.
5. Rhie, Y., J. Kim, S. Lee, and K. Kim. 2016. Non-deep simple
morphophysiological dormancy in seeds of heavenly bamboo (​Nandina
domestica​ Thunb.). Scientia Horticulturae. (210): 180-187.