Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
MSc. graduate, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
2
Associate Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
3
Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
10.22034/plant.2025.143621.1158
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of foliar spraying of the mother plant on shallot's yield and germination, and two laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of dormancy breaking of the produced seeds. The field experiment was conducted in a RCBD. Foliar treatments included: humic acid (3 g.lit-1), zinc sulfate (4 g.lit-1), urea (10 g.lit-1), gibberellic acid (0.1 g.lit-1), salicylic acid (0.25 g.lit-1), Vitasprin (3 g.lit-1), macrofertilizers (10 g.lit-1), boron (5 g.lit-1) and control. The results showed that the highest number of seeds and yield were observed in the humic acid treatment. Different treatments for breaking seed dormancy included: scratching the seeds with sandpaper for three minutes and placing the seeds at two temperatures of four and eight degrees Celsius, placing the seeds in boiling water for 20 seconds and in ice water for 20 seconds at four and eight degrees Celsius for 45 days. The results of laboratory studies showed that placing the seeds alternately in boiling water and ice could not break seed dormancy. In the scratching treatment with sandpaper, although storing seeds at 4°C resulted highest germination percentage and seed vigour index, the highest germination rate, number of normal seedlings, seedling weight, and seedling length were obtained under conditions of storing seeds at 8°C. Overall, the results of this study showed that foliar spraying of the mother plant has a significant effect on the germination characteristics of the produced seeds and that dormancy of the produced seeds is broken only by scratching.
Keywords
)