Journal Articles

Stratification, germination and emergence of mazzard seeds following 15- or 20-year storage

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Two seed lots of mazzard cherry (Prunus avium L.) seeds in stones with a 10–11 per cent moisture content (fresh weight basis) were stored in sealed containers at –3°C for 15 or 20 years. The seed lot stored for 20 years were stratified either in or without a substrate. Those stored for 15 years were stratified in a substrate. All seeds were kept at 25/3/25/3°C (2 + 2 + 2 + 14 weeks) or 3/25/3/25/3°C (6 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 14 weeks). The germination and seedling emergence of seeds stored for 15 years were maintained at a high level (mean 98 per cent). The two different thermal variants of stratification for these seeds had no effect on their germinability and seedling emergence. Germination and emergence from the seed batch stored for 20 years reached, on average, 70 per cent. Those seeds which were stratified at 25/3/25/3°C (2 + 2 + 2 + 14 weeks) were characterized by 78 per cent germination and 72 per cent emergence, whereas seeds kept at 3/25/3/25/3°C (6 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 14 weeks) germinated and emerged at 63 and 60 per cent, respectively. All the temperatures of germination and type of stratification (in or without substrate) tested for seeds stored for 20 years proved to be equally effective. Thus, desiccated mazzard seeds could maintain a high germinability after long-term storage in controlled conditions followed by different stratification methods.

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Series Title

Forestry an International Journal of Forest Research

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Publisher

: Oxford University Press., 0

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0015752x

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Edition

Volume 83, Number 2, April 2010. Pp. 189-194

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