Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ISPEC journal of agricultural sciences (Online), cilt.9, sa.4, ss.1094-1105, 2025 (TRDizin)
Medicinal and aromatic plants constitute a significant and increasingly important sector of crop production in Turkey and worldwide. The initial propagation material for these species is frequently sourced from the natural flora, usually as seeds or cuttings. However, seeds collected from wild populations frequently exhibit low germination rates, which constitutes a major constraint limiting successful cultivation. To overcome seed dormancy and improve germination, pre-sowing treatments known as "priming" are applied. These treatments are highly species-specific and can even vary at the cultivar level, underscoring the critical importance of determining the optimal priming protocol for each taxon. In this study conducted at Akdeniz University, Faculty of Agriculture, Field Crops Department, Salvia officinalis (medicinal sage) seeds, which are widely used for medicinal purposes, were subjected to 13 different priming treatments together with a control group, and their germination performance was evaluated. The results indicated that the treatments exerted a statistically significant impact (p<0.01) on both the final germination percentage (FGP) and the germination rate. The FGP values ranged from 0% to 25%, but the germination rate values varied from 0 to 5. In comparison, the control group recorded values of 10% and 2 for FGP and germination rate, respectively. Eight of the applied priming treatments yielded higher mean values than the control. According to the findings, the most effective priming treatments for improving Salvia officinalis seed germination were mechanical scarification using sandpaper (25.0% FGP) and hydropriming with distilled water at 4°C for 72 hours (23.3% FGP). In contrast, the results for osmopriming applications were generally lower than those of the control group.