Effects of Different Treatments on Seed Germination and Physiological Characteristics of Berberis thunbergii'Atropurpurea'
YANG Jiajia
LIU Zhimin
ZHOU Mingtao
PAN Bingkun
LIU Jian
Abstract：The Berberis thunbergii'Atropurpurea'seeds exhibit physiological barrier due to their hard seed coat and prolonged dormancy period,which limits the popularization and application.To clarify the effects of different treatments on seed germination characteristics of this species and screen out the optimal treatment to promote seed germination,this study set up various durations(10,15,20,25,30 min,denoted as A1—A5)of sulfuric acid(H2SO4)etching,various durations(15,30,45,60,75 min,denoted as B1—B5)of sodium hydroxide(NaOH)alkali etching and various concentrations(100,150,200,250,300 mg/L,denoted as C1—C5)of gibberellin(GA3)soaking treatments.Seed coat microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy,while germination parameters,seedling growth indices,physiological indicators,and endogenous hormone levels were measured.The results showed that H2SO4 etching and GA3 soaking significantly enhanced seed germination and seedling growth,whereas NaOH alkali etching significantly inhibited them.H2SO4 etching improved water and air permeability of seed coat,and significantly increased soluble protein and abscisic acid(ABA)content in the germ.GA3 soaking caused almost no mechanical damage to the seed coat,but significantly increased the soluble protein,soluble sugar and GA3 content in germ by regulating internal physiological metabolism.Although NaOH alkali etching caused no severe seed coat damage,it significantly reduced α-amylase activity and indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)content,while markedly increased ABA levels in germ.The principal component analysis indicated that the comprehensive order of seed germination effect from high to low was C4,C5,C3,C2,C1,A5,A4,A3,A2,A1,CK,B1,B2,B3,B4,B5.Overall,both GA3 soaking and H2SO4 etching treatments could effectively promote the seed germination of Berberis thunbergii'Atropurpurea',and soaking in 250 mg/L GA3 solution for 24 hours exhibited the optimal promoting effect.
Keywords：Berberis thunbergii'Atropurpurea'Seed germinationPhysiological characteristicsEndogenous hormonesSeed coat microstructureGibberellin soakingSulfuric acid etching
Publication Date：2026-04-15
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-12(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 100-109 )