European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

341 Sameeha Zaman, Shyamala Padmesh, Narayan R. Bhat and Harby Tawfiq
2.2. Seed Collection
Seeds of Moltkiopsis ciliata, Citrullus colocynthis were collected during 2004 from Agriculture
Research Station in Sulaibiya. Seeds of the remaining three species, Astragalus siebierri, Cyperus
conglomeratus and Phragmites australis were collected from Shegayah, Saban and Doha areas,
respectively. Seeds were stored in dry paper bags at room temperature until they were cleaned and only
the seeds that contained healthy and filled embryo were selected for the study.
2.3. Germination Studies
Separate experiments were performed in each of the five species at the Seed Laboratory of Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research. These tests were conducted in 9-cm diameter disposable petri dishes
lined with a moist filter paper. A seed was considered germinated when the radicle protruded to a
length of at least 2 mm. The seed treatment differed with species as follows:
2.3.1. Cyperus conglomeratus
Healthy seeds were placed in glass beakers and maintained in an oven at 50ºC for 0, 1, 2, 3, or 12
months as per the procedure recommended by Brown and Al-Mazrooei (2001). Following the high
temperature treatment, seeds were sown in petri dishes and placed in continuous darkness in a growth
chamber at 30ºC. Another batch of seeds was soaked in 0, 100, 200, 300, 500 or 1000 ppm GA3
solution for 24 hrs prior to sowing. After soaking, seeds were sown in petri dishes and maintained in
the growth chamber at 30ºC with continuous darkness. The number of germinated seeds was counted
each day.
2.3.2. Citrullus colocynthis
Seeds of this species were stratified at high temperature (50ºC) for 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 or 270 days.
Another batch of seeds was treated overnight with 0.3% KNO3 solution. Same procedures as described
above were used for high temperature stratification and chemical treatment. Sets of 25 seeds each were
placed on a moist filter paper in 9cm diameter disposable petri dishes and maintained in the growth
chamber. The number of seeds that germinated was counted each day up to 10 days.
2.3.3. Moltkiopsis ciliata
Seeds were stratified at 50ºC for 0, 1, 2, 3, or 12 months. Four replicates of 25 seeds each were sown in
9cm petri dishes and were maintained at room temperature. The number of seeds that germinated was
counted each day.
2.3.4. Astragalus sieberri.
Seeds were placed in boiling water until all the seeds were swollen. After the treatment, four replicates
of 25 seeds each were sown in 9 cm petri dishes and maintained at room temperature. The number of
germinated seeds was recorded each day. Another batch of seeds was stratified at 50ºc for varying
number of days. The germination of stratified seeds was determined at room temperature.
2.3.5. Phragmitis australis.
The treatments included soaking of seeds in 500, 1000 or 2000 ppm GA3 solution for 24 hrs. After
soaking, four replicates of 25 seeds were sown in petri dishes, which were then placed in a growth
chamber at 30ºc with continuous darkness for recording the germination percentage in each treatment.
2.4. Statistical Analysis.
The data was subjected to the one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% level of confidence. The
data from boiling water treatment in Astragalus sieberri and KNO3 treatments in Citrullus colocynthis