Voronkova N.M., Kholina A.B.
Vestnik of the Far East Branch of the Russian academy of sciences 2017; (2): 23-30
Seed germination, the dormancy-breaking procedures, the changes in seed viability during storage and the effect of ultra-low temperatures (-196 °C) on germination have been studied for twelve endemic species of crazyweed genus (Oxytropis D.C.) from Siberia and Russian Far East. It was shown that seeds preserve germinability up to 12 years, sulfuric acid scarification is successfully to break physical dormancy (germinability of some species reaches 90 %). All seeds survive cryopreservation without loss of viability. Exposure of seeds in liquid nitrogen also significantly breaks physical dormancy, we observed increase of germinability and germination rates in comparison with control. The data of this study can be used to the creation of Oxytropis seed collection for low-temperature seed bank.
