CORRECTION OF SOWING QUALITY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS SEEDS WITH ECHINACEIA EXTRACTS

Abstract

The paper presents experimental data on the effect of echinacea extracts on the sowing qualities of medicinal herbs. The biological activity of extracts obtained from the areal part (EAP) and rhizomes with roots (ERS) of pale echinacea was investigated. The object of study was the sowing quality of the seeds of such medicinal plants as blue cornflower (Centaurea cyanus L.), purple echinacea (Echinacea purpurea (L. Moench.), pale echinacea (Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt.), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), forest mallow (Malva sylvestris L.), which are of industrial importance for medicinal plants. The seeds were soaked in 0.01%-0.0001% solutions of extracts, under the control they were treated with water, after that they were germinated in Petri dishes by generally accepted methods according to the standards. The best results were obtained in mallow seed extracts. The solution of EAP at a concentration of 0.001% increased the energy of germination by 19.2% compared to the control, and when using ERS in all concentrations, a positive effect was obtained (by 18.2 %-23.6% to the control). Germination of variants treated with EAP solutions increased by 1.12-1.21 times, and ERS – by 1.09-1.21 times. Treatment of Echinacea purple seeds with EAP solutions was not effective, but rhizome extract treatment with roots had a positive effect on both germination energy and germination resulting 12.0%-17.3% and 8.3%-9.5% compared to the control, respectively. Similar regularities were observed in variants with the treatment of Echinacea seeds with extracts in different concentrations. The action of EAP solutions did not statistically exceed the control, but when using ERS, the results reliably exceeded the control by 10.8%-13.8% (germination energy) and by 11.0%-17.8% (germination). Treatment of St. John’s wort and cornflower seeds with extracts did not lead to changes in seed quality indicators. A general trend of greater activity of extracts in concentrations of 0.01%-0.001% was observed.