The influence of the ultrasound treatment on the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) seed germination

Abstract

The Norway spruce seed germination is often weak (in some years, the germination rate is less than 50%). It is already known that some physical agents had a simulative influence on the germination process. For improving the spruce seed germination, the influence of the ultrasound treatment on seed germination was tested. The tests have shown that the length of plant rootlet and hypocotyl and the germination rate of seeds depended on the frequency and duration of the ultrasound treatment. For the frequency of 35 kHz, the best results, represented by the improvement of germination and an increased length of rootlets and hypocotyls for the germinated seeds, were obtained for the treatment duration longer than 40 seconds. Thus, for the treatment duration of 50 and 60 seconds, we have obtained a germination improvement by over 40 %, an augmentation of the rootlet length by 32 % and of the hypocotyls by 5-8 %, compared to the untreated control. Because these data are only preliminary, the testing conditions and the tested species must be diversified, in order to establish regularities with practical applicability.