Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats
<i>Salicornia brachiata</i> Roxb., an economically and ecologically significant halophytic species native to Sri Lanka, produces dimorphic seeds. Despite their importance for commercial cultivation and conservation, germination studies of these dimorphic seeds remain limited. This study...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Sandani M. Gunasekara Chamara L. Mendis Dinum Perera Malaka M. Wijayasinghe |
| author_facet | Sandani M. Gunasekara Chamara L. Mendis Dinum Perera Malaka M. Wijayasinghe |
| author_sort | Sandani M. Gunasekara |
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| description | <i>Salicornia brachiata</i> Roxb., an economically and ecologically significant halophytic species native to Sri Lanka, produces dimorphic seeds. Despite their importance for commercial cultivation and conservation, germination studies of these dimorphic seeds remain limited. This study investigated the effects of temperature (25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C), gibberellic acid (GA<sub>3</sub>) treatment, geographic location of seed source (Jaffna vs. Puttalam coastal regions), seed type (central vs. lateral), and perianth presence/absence on germination under controlled conditions. Our results show that temperature, GA<sub>3</sub>, and geographic location of the seed source significantly influenced seed germination. This study presents the first documented evidence of physiological dormancy (PD) in <i>S. brachiata</i> seeds, with successful dormancy breaking achieved using GA<sub>3</sub> treatment at 25 °C. Although perianth and seed type alone had no significant direct effects on germination, they were involved in multiple significant interactions—two-, three-, and four-way—with other factors. These findings highlight the multifactorial regulation of <i>S. brachiata</i> seed germination, suggesting that tailored propagation strategies, incorporating environmental and physiological variables, can optimize germination. These findings offer practical solutions for enhancing germination in saline agriculture and habitat restoration efforts of <i>S. brachiata</i>. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-226f8a76b5ba42e9b059ab64da149df12025-08-20T03:17:08ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413189310.3390/plants14131893Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline HabitatsSandani M. Gunasekara0Chamara L. Mendis1Dinum Perera2Malaka M. Wijayasinghe3Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri LankaDepartment of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri LankaDepartment of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri LankaFaculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Mihintale 50300, Sri Lanka<i>Salicornia brachiata</i> Roxb., an economically and ecologically significant halophytic species native to Sri Lanka, produces dimorphic seeds. Despite their importance for commercial cultivation and conservation, germination studies of these dimorphic seeds remain limited. This study investigated the effects of temperature (25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C), gibberellic acid (GA<sub>3</sub>) treatment, geographic location of seed source (Jaffna vs. Puttalam coastal regions), seed type (central vs. lateral), and perianth presence/absence on germination under controlled conditions. Our results show that temperature, GA<sub>3</sub>, and geographic location of the seed source significantly influenced seed germination. This study presents the first documented evidence of physiological dormancy (PD) in <i>S. brachiata</i> seeds, with successful dormancy breaking achieved using GA<sub>3</sub> treatment at 25 °C. Although perianth and seed type alone had no significant direct effects on germination, they were involved in multiple significant interactions—two-, three-, and four-way—with other factors. These findings highlight the multifactorial regulation of <i>S. brachiata</i> seed germination, suggesting that tailored propagation strategies, incorporating environmental and physiological variables, can optimize germination. These findings offer practical solutions for enhancing germination in saline agriculture and habitat restoration efforts of <i>S. brachiata</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1893physiological dormancygibberellic acidhalophytesaline agricultureperianthseed morphology |
| spellingShingle | Sandani M. Gunasekara Chamara L. Mendis Dinum Perera Malaka M. Wijayasinghe Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats Plants physiological dormancy gibberellic acid halophyte saline agriculture perianth seed morphology |
| title | Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats |
| title_full | Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats |
| title_fullStr | Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats |
| title_short | Seed Dormancy and Germination Responses of <i>Salicornia brachiata</i>: Towards Sustainable Cultivation and Conservation in Saline Habitats |
| title_sort | seed dormancy and germination responses of i salicornia brachiata i towards sustainable cultivation and conservation in saline habitats |
| topic | physiological dormancy gibberellic acid halophyte saline agriculture perianth seed morphology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1893 |
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