THE EFFECT OF DEEP FREEZING (-30°C), ON SEED GERMINATION AND FLOWERING OF HYOSCYAMUS NIGER L.

Abstract

This research work aims to examine the effect of deep freezing at a temperature of (-30°C) on the seed germination and flowering of Hyoscyamus niger L. plant. The study looks into the aspects of how seeds germinate when exposed to (-30°C) for different durations, as well as the flowering pattern when the period of exposure to cold temperature is altered from another. In the case of the experimental setup, the seeds were placed in (-30°C) with differing time lengths and evaluated their germination rates for numerous trials. This study shows that the decreases in freezing time to 30 minutes had relatively no impact while increasing the freezing time to 60 min allowed for significantly higher germination percentages. The average germination rate of seeds subjected to freezing time of 60 minutes tended to be above the seeds subjected to shorter exposure to freezing time hence may support the idea that extended freezing time enhances seed dormancy breaking. Furthermore, the study analyzed flowering and plant regeneration: post germination and it was established that seeds exposed to longer freezing durations had superior flowering competency. These observations conclude that controlled deep freezing can be a beneficial pre-treatment in increasing the germination rate and flowering of Hyoscyamus niger L. The outcome of this research could have dual effects on the agricultural field because it sheds light on how seed treatments influence germination rates and flowering of a specific crop. The findings of this study can be added to the seed dormancy strategies and cold stratification as interventions that may aid advancement of plant propagation. The best germination result for all tested seed accessions were achieved at the treatment, when the seeds were treated with different cold stratification at (-30°C) for 30 minutes.