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Agric. sci. dev., Vol(5), No (3), September, 2016. pp.

28-32

TI Journals

ISSN:

Agriculture Science Developments

2306-7527

www.tijournals.com

Copyright 2016. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

Effects of Priming Treatments on Germination and Seedling Growth of


Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.)
Batool Mahdavi *
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Agriculture College, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran.
*Corresponding author: b.mahdavi@vru.ac.ir

Keywords

Abstract

Germination percentage
Chitosan
Pretreatment
Seedling vigour

Seed priming is a pre-sowing strategy for influencing seedling development by modulating pre-germination
metabolic activity prior to emergence of the radicle and generally enhances germination rate and plant
performance. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming on the germination and
seedling growth of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.). Seeds were treated by priming with chitosan solutions of 0,
0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.5% for 3 h (untreated dry seeds were taken as control). The results showed
that each priming treatment had increased the germination percentage, germination rate, seedling vigour
index, seed length and weight of shoot and root compared with control. Priming with 0.05 up to 0.2%
concentrations of chitosan produced the highest germination and seedling growth compared with control.
Therefore, it seems that seed priming with chitosan low concentration could be used for improving
germination and seedlings growth of anise.

1.

Introduction

Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) is belonging to Apiaceae family and widely cultivated for fruit and essential oil. Anise is native to Mediterranean
region and cultivated under field conditions in a vast number of countries, especially in Southern Europe and Southeast Asia, but also in the
United States, China and Chile [6]. Today, this plant use due to the antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal, and antioxidtaive effect on human
health [10].
Several approaches including hardening, seed priming, seed soaking and seed coating have been employed to precondition seeds in order to
improve germination and seedling growth of various seeds [3]. Seed priming treatments have been employed to accelerate germination, seedling
growth and yield in most seeds under normal and stress conditions [2]. The priming-induced increase in the rate of seed germination has been
associated with the initiation of germination-related processes [22], repair processes [21] and increase in various free radical scavenging
enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase have also been demonstrated [9].
chitosan that is a linear -(1,4)-glucosamine polymer produced by deacetylation of chitin and is an important structural component of several
plant fungi cell walls [16]. In agriculture, chitosan has been used in seed, leaf, fruit and vegetable coatings, as fertilizer and in controlled
agrochemical release, to increase plant productivity [15], to protect plants against microorganisms [7] and to stimulate plant growth [8]. Zhou et
al. [24] suggested that chitosan increase the energy of germination and germination percentage in peanut. In maize, seed priming with two
different acidic chitosan solutions improved the germination and seedlings growth [19]. The aim of present study was to determine the effect of
different priming treatments on germination and seedling growth of anise.

2.

Methodology

2.1 Priming treatments and germination tests


Experiment was conducted in Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran. It was carried out in germinator in a randomized complete
block design in factorial arrangement and with three replications.
The seeds of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) were soaked for 3 h at 25C in different solutions (0, 0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.5% dissolved
in 1% acetic acid solution) of chitosan and then were air-dried. Untreated dry seeds were taken as control. Seeds were placed on the 9-cm glass
Petri dishes in two layers of Whatman no. 1 filter paper, with 50 seeds per dish. The Petri dishes were placed in a germinator at 201C.
Computation of germinated seeds was done daily until the end of the eighth day. After that, number of total germinated seed, length and weight
of hypocotyl and radicle were measured. The germination percentage was calculated according to Ruan et al. [18].
Germination percentage=

100
N
where n: number of germinated seed on the seventh day and N: number of seeds.
Germination rate was calculated according to the formulae of Ramana et al. [17].

Rate of germination =

number of seeds germinated


days of first count

...

number of seeds germinated


days of final count

Seedling vigour index was calculated according to Ajithkumar et al. [1].


Seedling vigour index = (mean root length + mean shoot length) (germination percentage /10)
2.2 Data analysis
All data were analyzed using SAS software. When analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant treatment effects, Least significant
differences (LSD) test was applied to compare the means at P<0.05.

29

Effects of Priming Treatments on Germination and Seedling Growth of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.)
Agriculture Science Developments Vol(5), No (3), September, 2016.

3.

Results and Discussion

The results demonstrated that the effect different priming treatments were significant for germination percentage, germination rate, seedling
vigour index, length and weight of shoot and root (Table 1).
3.1 Germination percentage and rate
The present study indicates that priming treatments significantly increased germination percentage and rate compared with control (Fig. 1).
Germination percentage and rate increased with chitosan concentration increment up to 0.2%. Whereas, this parameters decreased at 0.5%
chitosan concentration. The lowest germination percentage and rate observed in control (Fig. 1) results were reported by Shao et al. [19] who
observed that seed treated with chitosan increased the germination percentage of maize seedling. Chandrkrachang [4] reported that chitosan
priming could increase the germination rate of cucumber, chili, pumpkin, and cabbage. Katchadat [11] found low chitosan concentration could
increase the germination percentage of soybean seed. However, the high dose concentration of chitosan might be toxic to the seeds.
90

Germination percentage

80
70

bc

ab

bc

ab

bc

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch 0.2% Ch 0.5% Ch


Treatments

12

Germination rate

10
8

a
b

Control

a
b

6
4
2
0
0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch 0.2% Ch 0.5% Ch
Treatments

Figure 1. Effect of priming different treatments on seed germination percentage and rate of of anise.
Ch= Chitosan. Means in each column followed by similar letter(s) are not significantly different at 5%
probability level, using LSD test.

3.2 Seedling vigour index


With the increasing chitosan concentaration up to 0.2%, seedling vigour index increased compared to control (Fig. 2). The highest amount of
seedling vigour index was obtained with 0.2% chitosan, although no significant difference with 0.1% chitosan. The lowest was amount of
seedling vigour index observed in control respectively (Fig. 2). These results agree with Manjunatha et al. [14] in pearl millet, they affirmed that
chitosan treatment enhances seed germination and seedling vigour in pearl millet. Also, Shao et al. [19] showed that chitosan priming increased
seedling vigour index in maize.
3.3 Seedling Growth
The results indicated that length and dry weight of shoot increased with increasing chitosan concentrations up to 0.2% (Fig. 3). Seeds pretreated
with 0.1% chitosan showed maximum length and weight of shoot, although no significant difference with 0.1% chitosan. (Fig. 3). All levels of
chitosan increased the length and weight of root compared to control (Fig. 4). The highest length of root observed at 0.2% chitosan, although no
significant difference with 0.1%, 0.05% and 0.01% chitosan (Fig. 4). The highest dry weight of root obtained at 0.2% chitosan, although no
significant difference with 0.1% chitosan (Fig. 4).These results agree with Lee et al., [13] in soybean and Kim et al, [12] in sweet basil, they
affirmed that chitosan treatment increased seedling growth in these plants. Cho et al., [5] reported that chitosan treatment increased length,
thickness and total weight of sunflower hypocotyls compared with control. Also, Sheikha and AL-Malki, [20] observed chitosan increased that
the length and weight of shoot and root of beans. Uthairatanakij et al., [23] suggested that chitosan may induce a signal to synthesize plant
hormones such as gibberellins and enhance growth and development by some signaling pathway related to auxin biosynthesis.

Batool Mahdavi *
Agriculture Science Developments Vol(5), No (3), September, 2016.

600
a
Seedling vigour index

500

ab

400

cd

cd

bc
de

300
200
100
0

Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch 0.2% Ch 0.5% Ch


Treatments

Figure 2. Effect of priming different treatments on seedling vigour index of of anise.


Ch= Chitosan. Means in each column followed by similar letter(s) are not significantly different at 5% probability
level, using LSD test.

2.5
a

Shoot length (cm)

2
c

1.5

bc

bc

b
bc

1
0.5
0
Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch

0.2% Ch

0.5% Ch

Treatments
7
a

Dry shoot weight (mg)

6
bc

5
4

abc

ab
bcd

cd

3
2
1
0
Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch 0.2% Ch 0.5% Ch


Treatments

Figure 3. Effect of priming different treatments on length and dry weight of shoot of anise.
Ch= Chitosan. Means in each column followed by similar letter(s) are not significantly different at 5%
probability level, using LSD test.

30

31

Effects of Priming Treatments on Germination and Seedling Growth of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.)
Agriculture Science Developments Vol(5), No (3), September, 2016.

4.5

ab

Root length (cm)

bc

abc

ab
bc

3.5
3

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch 0.2% Ch 0.5% Ch


Treatments

2
a

1.8

Dry root weight (mg)

1.6
1.4

bcd

1.2
1

bc

ab
cd

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Control

0.01% Ch 0.05% Ch 0.1% Ch

0.2% Ch

0.5% Ch

Treatments
Figure 4. Effect of priming different treatments on length and weight of root of anise.
Ch= Chitosan. Means in each column followed by similar letter(s) are not significantly different at 5%
probability level, using LSD test.

4.

Conclusion

The results showed that seed priming with chitosan improved the germination of anise seed and improved seedling growth. Priming with 0.05 up
to 0.2% concentrations of chitosan produced the highest germination and seedling growth compared with control. However, further studies are
needed to determine effects of chitosan in germination of anise.

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