Germination Studies in Lycium shawii Roem. And Schult

Usage of aesthetically appealing native plants in urban landscape projects can support its conservation by contributing to genetic diversity and their sustainability in that region. Lycium shawii is a thorny perennial shrub with an ability to tolerate extreme climatic conditions prevalent in Kuwait. In this germination study, effects of dry heat (50°C) and/or various concentrations (500, 750 and 1000 ppm) of gibberellic acid (GA ) on seed germination of Lycium shawii were assessed in an effort to standardize the 3 techniques for mass propagation. Seeds that were exposed to dry heat (50°C) for 20 days followed by 500 ppm GA resulted in 94.67% germination. Alternatively, pre-treating the seeds with 750 ppm (93%) and 1000 3 ppm(91%) GA was also effective in enhancing the germination, compared to the control (55%). 3