Improving Germination Rate of Coastal Glehnia by Cold Stratification and Pericarp Removal

Abstract

The medicinal plant, coastal glehnia (Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq.), belongs to the Apiaceae, which is known to exhibit morpho-physiological seed dormancy (MPD). In this study, we aimed to determine the dormancy type of this plant, along with the conditions for breaking dormancy, and how to increase its germination rate for mass production. Initially, the seeds of coastal glehnia had undeveloped embryos, which gradually developed following cold (5 °C) stratification over eight weeks. The embryo to seed (E:S) ratio increased to 66.7%, confirming that the seeds had the MPD type. Coastal glehnia seeds with pericarp did not show inhibited water uptake, and the germination inhibitory chemicals were not detected. However, removal of the pericarp improved the final germination percentage, germination speed, and T50 of coastal glehnia seeds compared with those of seeds with pericarp at 20 °C, which showed the highest value compared with other temperature treatments. Thus, cold stratification at 5 °C for eight weeks and removing the pericarp of germinating seeds maintained at 20 °C is efficient ways to break dormancy and improve the germination rate for the mass production of coastal glehnia.