The Effect Mechanism of Moist-Chilling and GA3 on Seed Germination and Subsequent Seedling Growth of Ferula ovina Boiss

The germination of Ferula ovina seeds faces certain problems. The present research was designed to study the promotion of the germination of Ferula ovina seeds by moist-chilling and GA3 applications. The results showed that Ferula ovina seeds display an endogenous dormancy that can be released by moist-chilling treatment for a certain period. In this respect, the best treatment was moist-chilling for 6 weeks at 5 ± 1 °C or for 4 weeks of moist-chilling followed by soaking in 500 ppm GA3 solution for 24 h. These treatments significantly increased germination percentage and decreased time to 50% germination (T50) compared to control. Also, the characteristics of the obtained seedlings were much better than those of control. Moreover, the 6-week moist-chilled seeds contained the highest soluble protein concentration. The combination between GA3 and moist-chilling treatments produced different effects on seed germination, soluble protein depending on the length of the moist-chilling period. GA3 application on un-chilled seeds improves the germination process. The concentration of soluble inorganic phosphorus of the tested seeds was negative (r = 0.88, p<0.05) while, the concentration of soluble organic phosphorus positively (r = 0.93, P<0.05) correlated with the germination percentage. It was concluded that treatment of moist-chilling for 6 weeks or 4 weeks followed by 500 ppm GA3 is recommended for promoting the germination process of Ferula ovina seeds and improving growth characteristics of the subsequent seedlings.