Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1977

Thesis Director

Roger Darding

Abstract

Cercis canadensis L. (redbud) seeds have been shown to require both scarification and stratification before germination occurs. Seeds which were leached prior to the scarification-stratification treatments were found to germinate more quickly, and CaSO4 solution was found to enhance germination. However, the percent germination remained approximately the same and leaching failed to substitute for the stratification requirement. Extraction studies indicated that germination inhibitors were present in scarified-non stratified seeds, however, the presence of germination promoters in scarified-stratified seeds could not be demonstrated. Germination occurred in either light or dark conditions. Gibberellic acid was found to substitute for stratification, and synergistic effects were noted when 10-2 M thiourea and 10-2 M gibberellic acid were combined. lndole acetic acid, kinetin, and abscisic acid failed to substitute for the stratification requirement. When seeds were stratified for four weeks, rather than the usual six weeks, germination was decreased by fifty percent.

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