Effect of seed priming on seed dormancy, vigor and seedling characteristics of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.)

In order to investigate the effects of seed priming on certain important seedling characteristic and seed vigor of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.), an experiment was conducted based on randomized completely design (RCD) with three replications at the Department of Agronomy and Plant Breading, Faculty of Agriculture, Maragheh University in Maragheh state, Iran. Traits such as plumule, radicle and seedling length, seedling dry weight, mean germination rate, final germination percentage and seedling vigor index were considered. Treatment included untreated seeds (control) and those primed in water (H2O), sodium chloride (NaCl, 100 mM) and polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000, water potential -1.6 MPa), in darkness for 18 hours. The results indicated that certain priming treatments had significant effect on above traits. Unsoaked seed (control) and hydropriming treatments had the lowest plumule, radicle and seedling length, seedling dry weight and seedling vigor index. PEG and NaCl in all of traits were better than the water priming treatments, respectively. Our results demonstrate PEG-6000 (-1.6 MPa) is the best treatment for breaking of fennel seed dormancy.