The effect of storage and different red and far red light treatments on Catalpa ovata g. don seed germination

Abstract

Chinese catalpa is a medicinal and ornamental, low demanding tree which tolerates urban pollution, drought and poor soils. It should be planted more often in Serbia, and gen?erative propagation is the most suitable method for mass production of this species. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of red and far-red light on Catalpa ovata seed germination, as well as the influence of seed storage length on germination. The seeds were collected in 2003 and 2007 from the same tree, stored for one and five years and exposed to red light (R) or far-red light (FR) before seed germination tests. After one year of storage, seed germination was high (74-82%) in a control treatment (white light conditions, 16h light and 8h dark), and the seeds did not germinate in dark conditions. Red light and a combination of red light and far red light treatments induced germination, but the obtained values varied (7 - 66%) depending on the year of seed harvesting. The seeds collected in 2003 had a higher germination percentage (51.0%) compared to the germination of seeds collected in 2007 (up to 14%) after red light treatment. The time of exposure to red light pulse (10, 15, 20 or 30 min) did not considerably affect germination rate. After 5 years of storage, germination percentage was considerably lower, reaching only 30% in white light conditions. The results obtained in this research confirmed that C. ovata seeds are photoblastic and can be stored for one year preserving a high germination rate.