seed priming of prunus scoparia through scarification and chemical treatments

This study examined the effects of various pre-germination treatments on prunus scoparia seeds collected from zarand city in late summer 2024. the treatments aimed to overcome both mechanical and physiological dormancy. the seed coats were removed, and seeds were disinfected in a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 15–20 minutes, followed by rinsing with sterile water. a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications. four factors were evaluated: scarification (control and sulfuric acid for 10 minutes), stratification (control, moist chilling at +4 °c, and dry chilling at −20 °c), potassium nitrate (0%, 1%, and 2% potassium nitrate), and gibberellic acid (0 and 200 ppm gibberellic acid). primary evaluations of vital indicators such as seed germination and shoot length of plantlets revealed that seed scarification with sulfuric acid, moist chilling at +4 °c, and treatment with 200 ppm gibberellic acid significantly enhanced germination performance. the results indicated that the combination of mechanical scarification, moist chilling, and gibberellic acid treatment effectively overcame dormancy barriers in p. scoparia seeds. this study highlights the importance of tailored pre-germination treatments to improve seed viability and subsequent plant establishment.